Ordinary people performing ordinary tasks can become extraordinary. Harry Patch was born in 1898 in England and was called up in 1916 to serve his country in the war to end all wars...WWI. He simply went about doing his job in a trench trained as a machine-gunner. A few weeks later, in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, at Passchendaele near the Belgian town of Ypres, he was badly wounded and three of his best friends were killed by a shell explosion.
He passed away Saturday morning at 111 years of age as the last survivor of England's forces of the war. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the whole country would mourn "the passing of a great man."
"The noblest of all the generations has left us, but they will never be forgotten. We say today with still greater force, we will remember them," Brown said.
Prince Charles said "nothing could give me greater pride" than paying tribute to Patch.
Patch was actively involved with others who fought the WWI battles in the past few years of his life. In 2008 he attended ceremonies in London marking the 90th anniversary of the war's end at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. He rode into the service in his wheelchair and laid a wreath at the base of the stone memorial.
In 2007 Patch was honored at a remembrance event where he remarked that he was "humbled that I should be representing an entire generation. Today is not for me. It is for the countless millions who did not come home with their lives intact. They are the heroes. It is also important we remember those who lost their lives on both sides. I met someone from the German side and we both shared the same opinion: we fought, we finished and we were friends," he said in 2007.
When Patch began his journey in the army for England he had not idea what his time would be like during and after. He was just going about his duty. Doing his job. And by the time his life was over he was being honored for his sacrifice and length of years.
There are some things we can control and some we cannot. We can control our life...our duties...our sacrifice for others. We cannot control our length of years.
Everyday each of us has the opportunity to live ordinary lives that have an extraordinary effect on the lives of others. Every Mom is making an impact on her family. Every husband is changing the chemistry of his marriage and home. Each teen is engaging with friends in communication about life.
We make an impact. What kind of impact are you making? What kind of impact do you want to make?
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