CBC News
Posted: Nov 11, 2012 8:44 AM ET
Last Updated: Nov 11, 2012 9:03 AM ET
Master Cpl. Graham McDonald feels an intense kinship with the "old soldiers" who fought their way through the First and Second World Wars.
"My respect level for those guys is immeasurable," he said.
McDonald, 31, is a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The Dundas native has served in Afghanistan at various points for over 11 years.
He's seen combat, and lost friends. That's why he gets along with the old guys.
"I think they see that," he said. "They can relive some of their experiences through me when we start telling stories."
'Being able to work with the flag on my shoulder and represent Canada means everything to me.'—Master Cpl. Graham McDonald
And tell them they do. Last Wednesday the Highlanders hosted their own private Remembrance ceremony in the Amoury on James Street — so the young guys could have a chance to pay their respects to those who fought before them.
"It's like 'once a soldier, always a soldier' — wishing they were back, still in the army, still serving," McDonald said.
"They can see that through me."
Part of the respect he feels comes from the tools of the trade. Few would exalt military meals as exceptional — but Canadian Forces soldiers are much better equipped now than they were in the old days.
"I know the kit that we have — the jackets and the stuff we have to do our jobs — and I can only imagine what they had during their time," he said.
That's not all that has changed. Cpl. Scott Neheli says there's been positive change in Canada's perception of the military in the last ten years or so, too.
"I find we get a lot more support now than we did ten years ago," Neheli said. "There's actually been a noticeable change in public support for the military. You see bridges lined with people when a soldier comes back from overseas."
Neheli has served for over seven years. He too has lost friends. "Remembrance Day hits a bit closer to home for us — the currently serving soldiers," he said.
"We know people that didn't come back from deployments in Afghanistan, so a lot of faces on Remembrance Day boards are people we knew."
Both seem to agree that in the daily grind, the average person can sometimes take their freedom for granted.
"Those freedoms did come at a cost," McDonald said. "Many soldiers — men and women — have given their lives to provide us with the freedoms we take for granted every day."
Both will be marking Remembrance Day at memorial services — McDonald back in Dundas and Neheli in the parade that runs from the Armoury on James Street to Gore Park.
McDonald says as Dundas is a relatively small town, he's started to notice the number of veterans present at these ceremonies is slowly starting to dwindle.
So he'll cherish their company for as long as he can.
"It almost brings a tear to my eye being able to walk beside guys that served in Korea and World War Two," he said.
"Being able to work with the flag on my shoulder and represent Canada means everything to me."
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