Contributed photo AFGHANISTAN VETERAN Corporal Wayne Strudwick will join students from Centre Dufferin District High School on the ten day Battlefields Tour in Europe. For many, the month of November is a bleak, chilly time with nothing to look forward to but the upcoming holidays in December. But for over 40 students, staff and members of the Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) community, November marks the opportunity of a lifetime, as they will embark on a 10-day excursion to Europe.

The Battlefields Tour is an unique trip that combines the culture of Northern Europe with the history of both World Wars I and II. Beginning on November the 10th, the tour begins with three days in London, visiting revered cultural and historic spots such as the Modern Gallery and the Tower of London. After visits to the Imperial War Museum and more historical locations, the trip takes a more somber turn as we enter Bayeux, France and learn more about our country’s extraordinary efforts in World Wars I and II.

Past participants of the Battlefields Tour in 2008 have said the trip “is a great experience...as [our] generation is not really familiar with the veterans of World War II.” With stops at Juno Beach and Beaumont-Hamel, the true impact of the trip is seen. These stops change ones perspective on not only war, but also their outlook on life and humanity as a whole. The visit to Juno Beach will surely be memorable, with a special visit to the Juno Beach Centre.

Founded in 2003, the Juno Beach Centre serves as “an educational tool” for Canadians, as well as a symbol of Canadian efforts in France during World War II. The true meaning for the stop is to commemorate our Dufferin veterans, with dedicated plaques to be placed at the Centre. These 40 plus plaques will live on and show our gratitude to our brave and courageous veterans of Dufferin County. More so, students will also be given the opportunity to tell their veterans story at the Centre. A Dufferin veteran, commenting on the 2008 trip, said “It’s a marvelous situation and an opportunity to lift words off a history book and put it into your own words.”

As the tour leaves France and continues on to Belgium, a greater and more in-depth understanding of our war history will be attained, while visiting Ypres and Flander’s Field, the historic site where the memorable poem was conceived and written.

The last stop will be in Holland, the country Canadian troops famously liberated from the Germans in 1945. While Amsterdam is a cultural Mecca, the military theme of the trip will continue and will be highlighted when visiting the Anne Frank Museum and Dutch Resistance Museum.

While the trip ends there, the impact does not. The Battlefields Tour is meant to educate the younger generation about the significance of war, whether it was almost 100 years ago or happening now.

The trip shows the true consequences war has on soldiers, families, towns, countries and generations. A sobering tour, it also involves students truly learning firsthand the ramifications and effect of war from veterans, ranging from World War II to the Afghanistan War, still going on today. This trip not only encompasses a knowledge gained from traveling abroad, but an in-depth, and intimate experience acquired from participants familiarizing themselves with Dufferin County veterans.

A key component to the learning experience of this trip, it was important for each student to locate and contact a war veteran in Dufferin County, or the family of a deceased veteran. By doing so, students began to understand the trials and tribulations of life as a soldier, through first hand accounts. Students also learned about how war has affected the life of these veterans when returning from war and the ever-present perils a veteran faces. While students learned about different battles in different locations, one must agree that going to war is an act that changes the life of each veteran immensely. It also impacted and left an everlasting impression on the lives of the students participating.

On the 2008 trip, students said: “We read about it in a text book, we learn about the battles, the Dieppe Raid...but we don’t know the people and this is an opportunity to get in touch with a part of Canadian history that a lot of us have forgotten about.”

The 2011 Battlefields Tours builds upon the 2008 trip by incorporating soldiers from the recent and ongoing Afghanistan conflict. Corporal Wayne Strudwick, a Canadian Veteran whom was raised and now resides in Dufferin County returned from his last tour in Afghanistan in April of 2009. Wayne spent much of his time serving in the Kandahar province.

This relatively young veteran gives students a deeper understanding of current global conflicts, and the effects of modern warfare. This experience parallels and contrasts many of the experiences of veterans from the first and Second World wars, and allows individuals to understand true bravery and patriotism, as well as the importance of preserving liberties and rights. Corporal Wayne Strudwick will be representing Dufferin County and accompanying CDDHS students on the trip to Europe, and participating in the many events and ceremonies involved.

In order to help raise funds to cover the cost of sending Corporal Strudwick on this trip, a fundraising dinner was held at the Dufferin County Museum & Archives on the evening of September 10. After dinner entertainment was included, with best selling author of the Five Minute Mysteries series and Historic Hills columnist for In The Hills, Ken Weber, discussing “Growing up in a small town in the 1950’s... My Telephone Number was 4... All the Laughs – All the Wonderful People.” All the proceeds will go towards the cost the Battlefields Tour. As well, student paintings of Dufferin County were auctioned off at the event. The proceeds of the sale of these paintings goes to assist student artists Alexis Lyver and Alexandra Heck in paying their fees for the trip.

This trip is a wonderful opportunity for students to become involved in their community, and understand the historical significance of veterans in the community. These individuals have the preserved freedoms for not only Canadians, but citizens spanning the entire globe.

Alexis Lyver and Alexandra Heck are volunteers at Dufferin County Museum and Archives.