Honouring Canadian soldiers who died keeping the peace
Members of Canada’s Armed Forces came to Peacekeepers Park to pay tribute to fallen comrades on Sunday.
The 14th annual Peacekeepers Day ceremony honours every Canadian peacekeeper killed in the line of duty. The event is held every year in Peacekeepers Park on the Sunday before Aug. 9 in remembrance of “The Buffalo Nine,” the crew of a Buffalo Aircraft shot down over Syria in 1974 when three missiles hit their plane.
“Canada has a very rich military history,” said retired Lt.-Col. Rick Wright of the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping (CAVUNP). “And we all support Remembrance Day and there is no intention for this ceremony to take away from Remembrance Day.”
Wright is a veteran of two Canadian Peacekeeping operations, serving in Egypt in 1974 and again in Cypress in 1979. Wright was there the day the Buffalo Nine were shot down, speaking fondly of the crew and the moments he shared with them before their illfated flight.
For Walter Arndt, Peacekeepers Day is a way to honour his late son, Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, who was killed in 2006 during peace support operations in Afghanistan.
“It brings back memories,” said an emotional Arndt. “We’ve lost a lot of good men, doing what they do.”
Arndt said his son was born with a club foot, a condition that would usually rule out a career in the military.
“According to all regulations, he should have never made the military,” Arndt said. “But he fought tooth and nail to be in there. He was a slight bit bull-headed.”
Raymond Arndt’s sister, Trish Hammond, said Peacekeepers Day offers a chance for her family to honour her late brother and serves as a reminder for Canadians to show their support for our fighting men and women across the globe.
“Whether they’re here or not, they’re always in our mind and our hearts,” Hammond said.
“We want them to know that we’re here for them.”