DAY OF HONOUR: AFGHAN WAR VETS REMEMBERED
Stephen Harper joins thousands in recognizing heroism of Canadian troops
OTTAWA — The families of many of the 158 Canadian troops killed in Afghanistan carried photos of their lost sons, daughters, brothers and sisters Friday, joining the thousands who gathered on Parliament Hill to recognize the sacrifice of Canadian troops during the first National Day of Honour.
Using the occasion to announce that the dates 2001 to 2014 will be chiselled into the stone of the National War Memorial, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a message to the families of those who were killed.
“The names of your loved ones are engraved on our hearts. On the hearts of all Canadians who cherish freedom, justice and human dignity,” he said. “These are the things they died protecting. Canadians are safer and Canada is stronger because of their sacrifice.”
A minute of silence was broken when Chinook and Griffin helicopters, and Hercules, Airbus and Globemaster transport planes flew over Parliament Hill shortly before Harper offered thanks to the veterans of the longest war in Canadian history.
The day of remembrance began early Friday when onlookers wandered among a series of static displays where soldiers in camouflage uniforms displayed the tools of their trade.
Master Cpl. James Hatfield gave tours of the confined space of a Lav III armoured vehicle. As a crew commander during a 2009 tour in Afghanistan, he sat beside the gunner and called the shots for his team.
The names of your loved ones are engraved on our hearts. On the hearts of all Canadians who cherish freedom, justice and human dignity. STEPHEN HARPER PRIME MINISTER
“I found I got a better perspective on things,” Hatfield said. “You come back feeling more mature.”
Visitors to Parliament Hill also had the opportunity to take turns boarding a Chinook helicopter like the ones that flew in Afghanistan.
When Louis Ernest Dubois, 64, stepped into the helicopter Friday he immediately felt pride. His son, 39- year- old Maj. Alexandre Dubois, flew a Chinook during his tour in Afghanistan five years ago.
As a psychotherapist, Dubois has kept a close eye on his son for signs of post- traumatic stress disorder. He never suffered from PTSD, a disorder that Dubois believes doesn’t receive the necessary support from the military.
“When they fall, we let them fall,” he said. “It’s not correct to do that.”
Despite the dangers of fighting, Dubois and his wife took comfort in the fact that their son was doing something to protect the country.
The day of remembrance also included a parade of veterans, police and civilians who served in Afghanistan.
Participants in the Soldier On Afghanistan Relay, all ill and injured veterans, were greeted at the end of their six- day race at Parliament Hill by a round of applause. “The real heroes,” someone in the crowd yelled out as the soldiers arrived at the ceremony, which began with a 21- gun salute.
The soldiers travelled to Ottawa from Trenton, Ont., carrying a baton that held the last Canadian flag flown in Afghanistan.
The baton was handed to Harper, who then handed it over to Gov. Gen. David Johnston, the formal commander-in-chief of the Forces.
Senior politicians, top military brass and thousands of onlookers joined many families who lost loved ones or nursed them through grievous wounds.
One of the keynote speakers was a sergeant, a heroic combat engineer who won the Medal of Bravery for crawling into a cramped space to spend two hours defusing an improvised explosive device in 2010.
Sgt. Dale Kurdziel, an engineer from Gagetown, N. B., thanked the country for its support. “The work was far from easy, the hours long and the danger always present, but one of the most important things that kept us going was the knowledge that we were never far from the thoughts of folks back home,” he said.
Johnston and Prime Minister Harper offered the country’s formal gratitude.
Johnston said some of the most difficult moments in his life was attending repatriation ceremonies for soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
“It is during moments like these that we truly understand the nature of sacrifice,” he said. “I’d like to offer my deepest thanks for your service and sacrifice.”