OTTAWA, ON – The Royal Canadian Legion is very concerned over the government’s decision to add more dates to the National War Memorial.
“It has always been our position that the phrase used on the Seventh Book of Remembrance: ‘In the Service of Canada’ when placed on the National War Memorial would recognize all who have fallen. But the federal government’s recent decision to add two additional dates gives the perception that they are highlighting some conflicts and not others,” says Dominion President of The Royal Canadian Legion, Tom Eagles.
“We believe that a Veteran is a Veteran regardless of which battles they fought or in which military operations they were deployed,” adds Eagles. “By placing ‘In the Service of Canada’ on the Memorial, it recognizes all of the sacrifices made by our military since Confederation,” adds Eagles. “Otherwise, what do we tell the families of the more than 100 peacekeepers who died while on peace support operations, or those who lost their lives serving in NATO during the Cold War and the conflicts that grew out of that era, or the descendants of those military servicemen who were casualties of the Fenian Raids to name a few,” says Eagles.
We need to remember all of Canada’s Veterans both past, present and future who, at the call of their country, have sacrificed or will sacrifice their lives and families in order for us to live the freedoms that we enjoy today. The Legion recommends a series of plaques commemorating all of the various CAF military operations be placed along the walls surrounding of the National War Memorial.
