Vets load up YouTube for Remembrance Day

OTTAWA, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- A Canadian government channel about war veterans on the YouTube video Web site has attracted tens of thousands of hits before Remembrance Day.

The annual Nov. 11 salute to soldiers who served in the last century's wars was taken to the Internet by Veterans Affairs Canada. Agency spokeswoman Heather MacDonald told the Canwest News Service the segments were posted Friday and more than 67,000 views had been logged and unsolicited videos from veterans and their families were being uploaded.

"The response has been overwhelming for us," she said. "We had no idea it would take off as it has."

She said one video was even posted by Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who is orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station. MacDonald said the department had been searching for a way to engage young people.

"The reason we want to get youth involved is because they carry the torch or remembrance for future generations," she said. "We know that if we want to engage youth, we need to go to where youth are."

The day that originally marked the Armistice of World War I is observed in the United States as Veterans' Day.