I think this is a very important question. It's very important to carry forth the idea that, yes, we should thank the veterans, but we should also remember that the 1,100,000 Canadians who served in World War II were simply doing their duty as citizens of a free society.
I try to leave the students with the idea that it's not so much about thanking; it's to understand. Especially for the newcomers to the country, this is how you behave when your country has a crisis like World War II. You simply do your duty.
And to your earlier question about what questions are being asked, often the teacher will ask the students what we would do if there was another crisis like we had in 1939. There is often a very interesting discussion about whether a student would volunteer. Other students ask, well, if you're a citizen of this county, is there really any question...?
Our heroes are important, like Billy Bishop, but I think it's citizenship we should be stressing. One of the great values that the Dominion Institute can instill when people like me are no longer available is to point out how important it is to understand that this is part of your obligation if you want to be free. As Pericles said, “Freedom is the sole possession of those who have the courage to defend it.” He said that 2,000 years before Christ was born. It hasn't changed.
Now, I didn't properly answer the first question, and I'd like to add this. The girls always ask the intelligent questions. The girls always ask you how you felt when you came home, what your mother thought, and so on. The boys will ask how it works. I have to admit that with the girls, you have to be careful with their questions. They get right down to the nitty-gritty quickly.