Graduation Speech: The Battle Of Vimy Ridge

Dear Mother, It’s been a long time since I had the opportunity to sit down and write you a letter. I miss you and father a lot. I am overjoyed to be writing this letter to you. The mood here is one of jubilation. Our assault on Vimy Ridge began at 5:30 am on Easter Monday, eight days ago. We lost a lot of good boys but I am so very pleased to inform you that the Canucks got the job done! What the French couldn’t do for two years and the Brits too we, Byng’s Boys did in three days. I was assigned to the front line in the trenches as part of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade attached to the 4th Canadian Division. This is actually the first time all four divisions got to work together as a unified Canadian Corps. They

I hope you are not distressed, nor should you worry about my return. This will be my 11th and the final letter I am sending home, my dearest apologies for the lack of letters, the war isn’t the place I thought it would be, the climate and conditions are horrid. The rest was the worst part, having to switch patrol areas to protect the frontline for hours, and then rest for a minimal time. Poor Jimmy died later earlier today, they say it was from diseases and sickness. I’ll need to be careful down in these trenches, fleas, and bugs crawling all over me. The ground is like quicksand, all the missiles, explosions and gunfire have turned the dirt into a sinking pile of mud all over the battlefield. My team, my second family are mostly gone… I don't

I know it has been a long time since I´ve wrote to you. I have been quite busy, hence the time difference of the letters I write. But more importantly, I wrote to say that I miss you , Mary, and Mama very dearly, where the time apart has left me quite homesick. Otherwise, if you haven't already known, my squad and I are headed in to Sicily, Italy. I know! How exciting! I will have to see if I can visit our Aunt Sally up in Rome.

When I was a young cadet studying at West Point I thought war was courageous and glorious in and turn the young boys into men testing their courage their bravery and their honor for their country sweet now I've seen a real war and well it is there is too much blood that I have to clean from my uniform everyday when after they would just leave the body sit there and rot like if you got shot the body to just sit there and rot and then after the few days because not too many people many people are afraid that they will get shocked if they go if you're lucky some come and get you and send you back to your families at least or give a letter but it is mostly heartbreaking nah son how you found a girl yet I know recently lady time and getting hard to find are the good ones like your mother but remember all women deserve respect and kindness you do that you'll be fine and how is your job going remember you always need to watch out for your younger sister if you so kind and sweet girl and tell your mother when I come home to make my favorite meal the food here has been absolutely dreadful we've been eating beef and bread for the past few days I hope I'll be able to come home soon and I love you all very

Good morning young gent. I am currently located in Vicksburg as you may know. There is a quite grande battle going on at the moment. I am certainly applied because the union laddies are taking my food and goodies and are not letting them come to my belongings. The soldiers are not currently attacking but they are surrounding us and not letting our imports in. My fellow townspeople are very bothersome by the union's actions, they will probably starve us to death. Many others are talking about a rebellion back but I don't agree with such actions. My eating conditions are very poor, most days eat a dog or rat. If change doesn't happen soon i don't know if i can take it any longer.

Its 12:53 am and I am beyond exhausted. I am always am though, some days I question how I’m still functioning, I just got home from “Netflix and chill” with someone and while I most certainly didn’t want to sleep at their house, I’m feeling lonely. Oliver is with josh tonight so I really should be asleep, but just couldn’t, so thought id write to you. First off, let me say, I love your letters. I’ve worked out they take a week roughly from when you write them, till when I get them. So I somewhat expect which day they will arrive. Never have I ever been excited for my mail - most are bills. It makes me feel like a little girl. I don’t think ill ever get sick of writing to you. I have the ability to talk way too much, so I’m probably a good choice of pen pal, I’ll never run out of things to say but I feel like you knew this already. Not much of me has changed. :P

It is now the end of the war and I feel that I have changed a lot over the course of these five years. At the beginning of the war I was a small, boy who loved to go to school and listen to Shad’s lessons. My top priority was learning and then helping my mother on the farm. (Hunt, 13) Once my brothers and Shad left for war my family was divided, with Bill on the Confederate side and everyone else on the Union side. (41) As the war goes on and Shad stops being my teacher I don’t like school as much as I did before. My father has a heart attack and I need to step up to help my family more. (91) The most important thing to me now is making sure my family is all right, school is enjoyable but not as important. Getting letters from my John, Eb,

I will apologize now for not being able to write any letters to you for awhile, because for a season, we soldiers must train to fight against the enemy, which in all honesty, will be extremely tough. As you already know, we went to England to train for the war, which we Native Canadians undertook with other British allies from around the world. We have to obey orders from the British Army leaders. If we don’t follow their instructions, we will be executed for treason and disobedience. It is okay though, because I will comply with every command from the higher ranking senior military brass, even if that means uncomfortably fighting in a path of

I want to thank you guys for the great experienced that I had and also for the people that donated and made possible the possibility of going to the General Patton Museum. When I first saw the museum with the tanks in the front of it, I knew that the trip was going to be interesting. When we entered to the museum I realized the thousand of weapons that the soldiers had during the world war two.

I understand how hard it can be to live in a nation that is in war

Sir, I am writing to inform you that my troops and I have arrived in Battleford from Swift Current, Saskatchewan. We brought with us 200 loaded wagons, 600 horses, and 500 soldiers. However, I do fear that this number could decrease throughout the rebellion. Upon arrival, it was the first time my troops and I have experienced such a vast land mass. Acres upon acres are left unoccupied and frozen over. The bitter dry winds sweep both low and high in the prairies, leaving the troops frostbitten from head to toe; the weather conditions are terrifying indeed. Our living conditions are nonetheless worse - we sleep on icy frigid grounds, eat salted pork and hardtack, and drink nothing but unsweetened salt water tea. Absurd living conditions

I would like to apologyze that I have not written you since I get back home from the best holiday in my life but I work everyday and the rest of my free time I spend with my boyfriend.¨

Remember when I volunteered for the war and you questioned my intentions? I thought it would be short, you know, like the Boer War. Now I have realized that it is nothing like that war. Not only is it much longer, it is much bloodier. I fear that the war will drag on for much longer than the next few months. I thought it'd be a great experiene. I mean, who wouldn't want to go to Europe for a few months? Contrary to my beliefs, it was a terrible thing; war is a terrible thing. But, what's done is done and now that we have no choice by to fight I am glad I am fighting with Canada and Britain. I would do anything for our country.

Thank you all again for your willingness to come to the Ridge! We are excited to see you again and to continue our good work of unifying our two student bodies.

In August of 2015 I came in to my American history class not knowing exactly what I was getting my self in to , I mean the last time I took American history was my 11th grade year in high school in 2009/2010. After meeting with my new Professor and my classmates , I knew I was up for a run in this class, but I was completely wrong I end up loving it. My team was great! we worked as if we knew each other for years , when in reality we just met and we know maybe after this class ends we might not run in to each other again. The experience is worth taking with us ,where ever we may go .My topics may not be word for word what was said but every one learns differently and they pick up different information while being told the same thing.