I've never had anyone shoot at me..Trying to kill me, gun me down, send me back to my maker..But that's what Mike Makichuk, my dad's cousin, faced on Juno Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.. Mike MakichukMike Makichuck, close relative of author Dave Makichuk, was killed on D-Day, June 6, 1944. On Thanksgiving Day, Dave makes the connection between sacrifice and gratitude. .He never made it past the beach. We don't know if he stepped on a mine, or what. But he died right there, before he even got to fight along with his unit, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles..Heroes, every one..And so it's Thanksgiving, year 2022. What jogged my memory about Juno Beach was Jonathan Bradley's excellent piece reporting the Canadian and French governments confirmed they will collaborate to protect the site after a residential developer threatened to build on the site..You cannot believe what great news this is. I choked up when I read the piece in the Western Standard. Folks, this is sacred ground and I'm so relieved both sides came to a compromise. As Mr. Bradley reported, the Juno Beach Centre has become a place of remembrance and emotion for veterans, their families and Canadian and French citizens..Guys like me, too. To forget would be tantamount to scorning one's heritage..“The settlement will ensure the Juno Beach Centre and the Canadian memorial presence in Normandy are preserved for generations to come,” said Juno Beach Centre Association president Dan Cooper..Amen to that. Anything less would have been a monumental travesty.. Makichuk at graveDave Makichuk in a corner of a foreign field, that is forever Canada — the graveyard at Beny-sur-Mer, where his father's cousin Mike was buried after he was killed on D-Day. .I've been to Juno Beach. Twice. I've been to Mike Makichuk's grave at the Canadian cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer. Twice..Each time I spilled Canadian holy water on his grave. A small thanks for his incredible sacrifice..I've also walked along Omaha beach, climbed the steep bluffs, peeked into the German bunkers... Tried to imagine what happened on that hellish day..One tour guide told us a German gunner firing a machine gun, killing hundreds of young Americans, only stopped because his barrel melted. You never forget things like that. You just don't..So when you take out the electric knife on Monday and carve up that turkey for friends and relatives, never forget how and why you have that freedom..One only has to look to Russia, where a president gone mad has thrust his nation into a meaningless war, killing people in Ukraine and his own country. Destroying cities. Committing atrocities. Terrifying his own people..I recently met a wonderful couple from Ukraine who just arrived in Canada. I met them on Facebook Marketplace, where I was trying to give away some things I had rescued from the landfill. Baby car seats, chairs, tables, children's toys, women's clothing, lamps, you name it. I have found it all in my local condo dumpster, in the parking garage. And every single item in mint condition..Anyway, we got to know each other, I gave them a bunch of things, including clothes and jackets I wasn't using, and we are now friends on Facebook. While they're 'thankful' to be here in Canada, they feel for their countrymen back home who are dying to protect the country against Putin's invaders. They also told me they and their two young children made their first trip to Banff, where they discovered "many beautiful lakes and mountain scenery.".I struggled to find something for their eldest daughter, who was about 10 years old, I think. So, I bit the bullet. I gave her my prized wireless headphones. Ironically, the 'phones matched her pink dress. The mom told me it was her dream to have them. .I can always buy another, right? I also gave her husband a cool high-powered rechargeable military flashlight, which he really likes..Ladies and gents, fellow Albertans, people of all provincial parties: it does not take a lot of time, effort or even money to help someone..Being thankful and making others feel thankful too. If you know an elderly person or a disabled person who can't celebrate Thanksgiving like we can, dish up a plate, cover it with foil, deliver it with a smile..Even if you just tip your hat to a lady when you go grocery shopping, or hold open a door, or wish another person a good day. Or buy a Tim's coffee for someone behind you in the drive-thru. Pay it forward..Mark the day, with a good deed..And yes, be thankful. Be very, very thankful.
I've never had anyone shoot at me..Trying to kill me, gun me down, send me back to my maker..But that's what Mike Makichuk, my dad's cousin, faced on Juno Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.. Mike MakichukMike Makichuck, close relative of author Dave Makichuk, was killed on D-Day, June 6, 1944. On Thanksgiving Day, Dave makes the connection between sacrifice and gratitude. .He never made it past the beach. We don't know if he stepped on a mine, or what. But he died right there, before he even got to fight along with his unit, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles..Heroes, every one..And so it's Thanksgiving, year 2022. What jogged my memory about Juno Beach was Jonathan Bradley's excellent piece reporting the Canadian and French governments confirmed they will collaborate to protect the site after a residential developer threatened to build on the site..You cannot believe what great news this is. I choked up when I read the piece in the Western Standard. Folks, this is sacred ground and I'm so relieved both sides came to a compromise. As Mr. Bradley reported, the Juno Beach Centre has become a place of remembrance and emotion for veterans, their families and Canadian and French citizens..Guys like me, too. To forget would be tantamount to scorning one's heritage..“The settlement will ensure the Juno Beach Centre and the Canadian memorial presence in Normandy are preserved for generations to come,” said Juno Beach Centre Association president Dan Cooper..Amen to that. Anything less would have been a monumental travesty.. Makichuk at graveDave Makichuk in a corner of a foreign field, that is forever Canada — the graveyard at Beny-sur-Mer, where his father's cousin Mike was buried after he was killed on D-Day. .I've been to Juno Beach. Twice. I've been to Mike Makichuk's grave at the Canadian cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer. Twice..Each time I spilled Canadian holy water on his grave. A small thanks for his incredible sacrifice..I've also walked along Omaha beach, climbed the steep bluffs, peeked into the German bunkers... Tried to imagine what happened on that hellish day..One tour guide told us a German gunner firing a machine gun, killing hundreds of young Americans, only stopped because his barrel melted. You never forget things like that. You just don't..So when you take out the electric knife on Monday and carve up that turkey for friends and relatives, never forget how and why you have that freedom..One only has to look to Russia, where a president gone mad has thrust his nation into a meaningless war, killing people in Ukraine and his own country. Destroying cities. Committing atrocities. Terrifying his own people..I recently met a wonderful couple from Ukraine who just arrived in Canada. I met them on Facebook Marketplace, where I was trying to give away some things I had rescued from the landfill. Baby car seats, chairs, tables, children's toys, women's clothing, lamps, you name it. I have found it all in my local condo dumpster, in the parking garage. And every single item in mint condition..Anyway, we got to know each other, I gave them a bunch of things, including clothes and jackets I wasn't using, and we are now friends on Facebook. While they're 'thankful' to be here in Canada, they feel for their countrymen back home who are dying to protect the country against Putin's invaders. They also told me they and their two young children made their first trip to Banff, where they discovered "many beautiful lakes and mountain scenery.".I struggled to find something for their eldest daughter, who was about 10 years old, I think. So, I bit the bullet. I gave her my prized wireless headphones. Ironically, the 'phones matched her pink dress. The mom told me it was her dream to have them. .I can always buy another, right? I also gave her husband a cool high-powered rechargeable military flashlight, which he really likes..Ladies and gents, fellow Albertans, people of all provincial parties: it does not take a lot of time, effort or even money to help someone..Being thankful and making others feel thankful too. If you know an elderly person or a disabled person who can't celebrate Thanksgiving like we can, dish up a plate, cover it with foil, deliver it with a smile..Even if you just tip your hat to a lady when you go grocery shopping, or hold open a door, or wish another person a good day. Or buy a Tim's coffee for someone behind you in the drive-thru. Pay it forward..Mark the day, with a good deed..And yes, be thankful. Be very, very thankful.
