Our young soldiers are carrying the torch

My most meaningful story of 2018 was when I sat down with six reservists at the Truro Armoury to discuss how they felt about Remembrance Day. Probably the most poignant comment was from Corporal Rachel Pring, just 18 years old. Her great uncle lied about his age to fight in both the First and Second World Wars and served in the Nova Scotia Highlanders – the very same unit as Pring.

What exactly made Pring’s uncle do that? Only he truly knew, but Pring had this to say about her ancestor’s fight, just before Remembrance Day 2018.

“…to me it’s about being proud of who you are and who your ancestors were and what they did and how they served,” she said. “It’s about the pride of the past.”

Her younger brother, Matthew, was just 16. Matthew was the youngest soldier we spoke with, but the memory of those Canadians who fought and died in Europe clearly affected him the most.

“What it means to me is remembering every single soldier that fought in the war in one way or another,” he said.

It is thanks to sacrifices like this, that Canada exists today.

FRAM DINSHAW PHOTOS Corporal Rachel Pring is from a military family and believes Remembrance Day is part of a time-honoured tradition. Her great uncle lied about his age to fight in both world wars. Private Matthew Pring is just 16 years old and is one of the youngest members of the First Battalion of The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North). He is the younger brother of Rachel.

Fram Dinshaw