Lest we forget

Times Contributor     

 

Our men and women serving in the Armed Forces are usually remembered on Nov. 11, but there are also other days of the year designated to recognize Canadians in military service. This year, May 9 has been designated to remember and recognize the contributions made by Canadians involved in the Afghanistan war. 

Service in Afghanistan started in 2001, with troops assigned to an international force tasked with  combat, security, development, support and training operations in varying capacities and regions of Afghanistan, with the hope it would remove terrorist threats and give the Afghan people a more stable and peaceful place to live. Canadian troops were recalled from the country this year in March. 

The National Day of Honour parade is part of the ceremonies happening in Ottawa on May 9. The route begins at 12:30 p.m., starting at the Ottawa War Museum and proceeding to Parliament Hill. The parade will include 300 Canadian Armed Forces personnel, 32 RCMP and local police, and 50 civilians who deployed as part of the mission in Afghanistan. They will be joined by a contingent of non-serving veterans of the mission to Afghanistan. The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royale 22nd Regimental Band, the RCMP Pipes and Drums and the Correctional Service Canada Community Service Band will provide beat, tempo and music for the march.

The Governor General of Canada will receive the cavalcade at 1 p.m., at Parliament Hill where there will be a viceregal inspection and a 21-gun salute.

An Air Force fixed wing and rotary wing fly-by will also occur. Air support was an integral part of Afghan support measures. A joint task force formed an Air Wing division in Kandahar on December 2008, when they recognized the need for additional air power support in Afghanistan. 

Injured and ill soldiers will not be kept away from remembrance activities; in fact, they are rising to a physical testing of will and personal endurance. The ‘Soldier On’ Afghanistan Relay is a six-day race taken on by ill and injured personnel, racing 228 km, as a symbolic representation of the resolve Canadians have to persevere over hardship. The relay also celebrates the strength of our Canadian Armed Forces and of their supportive communities. The relay goes from Trenton Ontario to Ottawa with a final presentation of the baton, which contains a Canadian flag. The baton will be given to the Prime Minister and Chief of Defense at the end of the race, on May 9 on Parliament Hill. For more info and the courageous stories of the relay participants service and recoveries See www.soldieron.ca.

Following the parade, a single gunshot will signal two minutes of national silence at 1:30 p.m. EDT. 

Memorial services will also occur in Calgary at Mewata Armory at 10 a.m. and CFB Suffield at 10:45a.m.

There were 158 Canadian service personnel killed in the Afghanistan assignment and 48 Americans under Canadian command. One Canadian diplomat, one journalist and one civilian contractor were also killed.

A memorial cenotaph with all their names was erected in Afghanistan. The Canadian government obtained permission to relocate it from the Kandahar airfield to Canada. The cenotaph will tour across Canada, allowing Canadians in different geographical regions to pay their respects and hold vigil on dates between May to October. The Calgary Tower will have the cenotaph on display from August 25-29. It will return to Ottawa for permanent placement at a yet to be determined location.

For more information on Canada’s troops see www.app.forces.gc.ca. There are also some great pictures of the men and women at work on this site.