Veterans’ Week 2013 – Main Child (Ages 5 to 8) Speech(5 min)

Acknowledge the host/organizers, honoured veterans, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Introduce yourself by rank, name, unit, and military occupation.

Speak slowly and clearly, varying the pitch and tone of your voice.

Include pauses; they allow the audience time to catch up before you move on to another segment of the speech.

The speech can be presented with the Slide Show – Remembrance and the Canadian Armed Forces (Adult and Older Teens) available on the Resources Web page.

The speech can be presented with the Slide Show – Remembrance and the Canadian Armed Forces (Children) available on the Resources Web page.

Protocol

Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone. I am [name, full name] and I am a [military occupation] with the Canadian Armed Forces. I work at [name of wing, garrison, or base]. Thank you for inviting me [to your Remembrance Day ceremony today], [to speak to you about Canada’s veterans, Veterans’ Week and the importance of remembrance], or [to participate in your Veterans’ Week celebrations today].

As a member of the Canadian Armed Forces [you can also add a few sentences on why you are in the Canadian Armed Forces, your deployment experience and a few highlights of your career].For this age group, keep it very simple and use vocabulary they can comprehend.

Introduction

Remembrance Day is one of the most important days of the year in Canada. It is a day where we think about the Canadian men and women who are there to protect us and those who have been injured or died while protecting Canada.

(PAUSE)

Before you or I were born; before your parents or even your grandparents were born, Canadians had to fight in what is known as the First World War. From that war, where 65,000 Canadians lost their lives, came the most famous poem about Remembrance Day.

I probably don’t have to tell you the name of that poem, do I? Of course it is “In Flanders Fields” written by a Canadian Army doctor, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. The first sentence says, “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row….”What colour are poppies? (PAUSE) Yes, they are red.

Although poppies are the focus of the poem, John McCrae describes something else I want you to think about.In his poem he says, “To you from failing hands we throw theTORCH; be yours to hold it high.” This torch, he talks about, is a symbol for people like me in the military to remember those who died in war and how we must continue protecting Canada and tryto make the world safer and more peaceful.

(PAUSE)

Sometimes countries have arguments that cause wars to begin. Those countries then ask Canadafor help. That’s when people like me and others in the military will go to help bring peace again and protect us and others around the world so that children like you can be safe.

Canada has been involved in many wars but has also been peacekeepers, helping countries stop wars or keep the peace.

The most recent war Canada has been involved in was in Afghanistan. More than 40,000 Canadians from the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force have served in Afghanistan and like we heard in the poem “In Flanders Fields,” they held the Torch high with great courage. Sadly, 158 of these Canadians lost their lives and many hundreds more have come back to Canada wounded or injured.

(NOTE: the following two paragraphs may be edited by the presenter to reflect the stories of CAF members from other provinces or cities.)

Two of the 158 who lost their lives were Corporal Nicolas Beauchamp and Private Michel Levesque in November 2007, just six days after Remembrance Day.

(PAUSE)

Conclusion

Girls and boys – you and I are very fortunate to live in a country that is safe and at peace. It is because of soldiers like Corporal Beauchamp and Private Levesque, young men who carried the Torch into battle only to sacrifice their lives that we have the special country we have.

Please remember the honour, dedication, loyalty and bravery of all the Canadians who died keeping us safe.

(Pause)

Thank you.

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