Like most Canadians, Kyle Carmody remembers wars through the memories of others.

His Grandpa Jim didn’t talk much about his experiences as an RCAF pilot but Carmody knew something significant had happened. It was not until he was an adult that he wrote about an incident that had been on his mind for years.

“As a child, I was confused. As I write in the poem, which is based on something that happened when I was about 10, my grandfather was receiving a gift but he was crying. To him, the six medals represented his six comrades,” he said.

He hopes that Remembrance Day will continue to be marked as the World Wars fade from living memory.

“My generation and those younger are becoming more and more detached. The purpose of Canada in the Second World War was more clearly defined while the reasons that Canadians are going to war in some areas now are questionable, but these are still sacrifices and we value and appreciate what any soldier does for our country.”

Carmody, a 24-year-old creative writing student at Okanagan College, recalls a Remembrance Day assembly when he was a high school student.

“The principal had to remind some of the students not to talk during the moment of silence. There were three veterans there and they were hurt. These were the people they had fought for and they didn’t care. We know so little about war,” he said.

“We need to remind people about all the people who sacrificed in so many ways. I always wear a poppy and take the time to remember on November 11 even if I am not at a ceremony. We are Canadians in this amazing free country and we owe it to the veterans. We must never lose connection with Remembrance Day and think about those who are still serving and dying for Canada.”

Carmody is currently working on a novel set in early Rome and co-writing a post-apocalyptic story with his fiancée, Stacy Crane, an artist.