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The program today provided members with the opportunity to reflect upon the tragedies of war while honouring Veterans, current soldiers and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Jim McPherson kicked off the most impactful part of the day by providing a VERY brief introduction to today’s speaker, Paul McMenemy, before being kicked off the podium in jest by Paul. I did catch Jim saying that he was thankful to Paul, a member of the Airborne Regiment, for his freedom. And with this lightheartedness, the incredible and often dark, sometimes humourous journey Paul took us on began. There were many moments that had the room siting in silence, trying to hold back our tears while we seriously contemplated the effects war AND peacekeeping has had on every nation, every generation, every person, every family member of every brave soldier of every and all time including present day. Paul gave us a glimpse into the experience of a Paratrooper, part of a family with accumulative military service of 68 years, who in his early teens decided to enlist because he was “tired of being told what to do.” Young Paul, at first amazed by the enormous variety of foods on army buffets and amused by funny initiation gags like ½ bald Wolfcut haircuts was soon thrust into a turbulent existence and exposed to the nightmares of war most of us cannot begin to imagine. Sometimes it is what Paul didn’t say in gaps of silence between his words that had the most impact. I made 4 pages of notes, but Paul’s heartfelt and personal story cannot be duplicated here and in my opinion should only be told by him. Following are meaningful points for your reflection. It is important to recognize the strong brotherhood between soldiers; strong bonds developed through shared experiences and unbreakable trusts. But these heroes have long suffered from mental health issues known as PTSD for which public awareness only began in 2010. Often when an adult soldier leaves their service, they lack essential life skills like paying bills and are thrust into a society full of self-interest groups where the soldier develops trust issues leading to isolation. Suffering alone with PTSD, they deal with traumatic memories and the pain of loss yet always honouring comrades who left early and always praying for those men who didn’t have the chance to become fathers, uncles, grandfathers…praying for women who never had the chance to become mothers, grandmothers… So, when you meet a soldier don’t force them to relive their traumas by asking them a PTSD triggering question. Know that during moments of silence at ceremonies, soldiers are not “remembering” events, they are recalling in great clarity the very vivid details of friends who were with them during conflicts. As Rotary has a focus on hope for peace, Paul assures us that the majority of people all over the world are peaceful. It’s a minority obsessed with power and control who create wars. It’s this vicious minority that soldiers deal with. Soldiers bravely shielding us with their lives. Jim McPherson did indeed express it best in his brief introduction – Paul, we are all thankful to you for our freedom. We are also grateful for Paul’s partner, Suzanne, whose devotion, and loving sunshine protects him on those gray cloudy days. Paul C asked a question about female drones I didn’t understand, and Paul M answered that some regions of the world fight with high tech equipment while others still use ancient equipment. Concluding with, “There are soldiers who want to go to war and those who have.” Heidi officially thanked Paul on behalf of the club and touched on her family’s misfortunes and loss during World War 1. Heidi's grandfather, along with a reported 2,700 others, was senselessly killed even though the war had ended with the armistice signed. However, the French commander-in-chief Marshal Foch delayed making it official in order to have a memorable date on record of November 11, 1918, 11:00 am. It is reported that 8,300 were also needlessly wounded because of this desire for a memorable date to document the official end of World War 1. At this point, I just kept thinking how stupid war is and I missed the joke. President Rena closed the meeting. |
