Re: Remembrance Day

by Magnum Wed 06 Nov 2019, 4:37 pm

Remembrance Day - Page 8 Remembrance-banners-tignish-legion-jessica-doria-brown-cbc

Remembrance: Canadian towns honour veterans

11.06.2019

https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2019/11/06/remembrance-canadian-towns-honour-veterans/

by Magnum Wed 06 Nov 2019, 4:58 pm

Outrage over Windsor woman’s social media post attacking fallen soldiers and veterans

Published Wednesday, November 6, 2019

https://windsor.ctvnews.ca/outrage-over-windsor-woman-s-social-media-post-attacking-fallen-soldiers-and-veterans-1.4673031

by **Replica** Wed 06 Nov 2019, 9:20 pm

Applebee’s salutes veterans, active service members with free meal Monday

06.11.2019

https://www.barrietoday.com/whats-up-wednesday/applebees-salutes-veterans-active-service-members-with-free-meal-monday-1831169

Remembrance Day - Page 8 Applebees-2019-11-05

by Jackal Thu 07 Nov 2019, 1:37 pm

Ontario legislature pays tribute to veterans ahead of Remembrance Day

Published Thursday, November 7, 2019

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-legislature-pays-tribute-to-veterans-ahead-of-remembrance-day-1.4674525

by Cooper Thu 07 Nov 2019, 7:33 pm

Meet Canada's New Veterans

Mark Towhey . Published on: November 7, 2019

When you think of veterans, do you think about the elderly heroes who muster each Remembrance Day for one more parade?

Or maybe the vital young soldiers who returned home from Afghanistan scarred with physical and mental injuries?

Too many of our best young men and women left part of themselves behind and were forced out of the military with debilitating physical and mental injuries. We have struggled, as a nation, to find the best way to provide them the care and assistance they deserve. We must keep striving to do better for these heroes.

But, most new veterans leaving Canada’s military today are not injured.

They’ve weathered horrific battlefields in Afghanistan or elsewhere and the unique sacrifices demanded of soldiers in war and peace, and emerged whole, healthy and eager to pursue exciting new challenges.

They’re incredibly fit, highly skilled, exceptionally trained leaders and managers ready to make their mark in the world outside the Armed Forces. They’re smart, young, loyal, hardworking, and some of the smartest businesses in Canada are snapping them up fast.

In this four-part series running through Monday, Nov. 11, the Sun will focus on Canada’s New Veterans – who they are, what they can do for you, and what you can do for them.

Who are Canada’s New Veterans?

— 8,000 new veterans leave the military every year.

— 80% are physically and mentally fit.

— 38.5 is the average age when leaving the military.

— 15 years military experience on average.

— Extensive training and experience in:

• leadership

• management

• teamwork

• communication

• problem solving

• planning

• change management

• human resources administration

The Expositor

by Cooper Thu 07 Nov 2019, 7:43 pm

Veterans join forces at Airborne table

Retired Canadian Armed Forces personnel engage in opinionated conversations and laughter during lunchtime sessions at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 271 in St. Albert

Jeff Hansenv . Nov 7, 2019

It’s lunchtime on Thursday at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 271 in St. Albert and the banter is lively amongst the retired military personnel gathered around what is affectionately known as the Airborne table.

Woven in with the profound observations of the political landscape in Canada and current state of the world are tales of military and everyday life.

“There’s a lot of lies,” laughed John Matthews of the group whose lives are intertwined by their military experiences. “But there’s a common experience, a common thread and that’s why we come here.”

Remembrance Day will also bring them closer together as Canada and Commonwealth member states honour the members of their armed forces who died in the line of duty.

“It’s a time to remember, simple as that, of the sacrifices of what people have made in the past,” said Matthews, 78, who retired in 1995 as a major after 36 years.

“I would say the first person that should go there is the person that's against war to remember that people did go into situations which were truly horrible, came back broken, whatever, with memories that never are purged out of your soul,” Matthews added.

“I’ve been going to Remembrance Day parades actively since I (transferred) to the reserves and they've all been well attended, but in the last 20 years or more if you look at the total societal thing certainly Afghanistan gelled things, but even before that people would become more and more aware of Remembrance Day and its meaning to the country and the awareness of what we did in the First and Second World War and various other operations like Korea and UN (peacekeeping missions).”

Matthews grew up in Toronto and at age 18 went to a military college in Saint-Jean, Que., which produced bilingual officers for the forces. He was commissioned into the Royal 22nd Regiment known as the Van Doos, a francophone regiment.

"I was with a battalion that went to Germany in November of '67 and come home in the summer of '71, and four years later I was sent to the Middle East with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. Their aim is to monitor the status of the ceasefire between Israel and the other parties to the conflict like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt,” Matthews said. “I got to Beirut in June of '75, and that was right at the start of the civil war in Lebanon, so I lived through that.”

Matthews was joined by the following men and women from the St. Albert area that stretched as far as Sundre as they shared their military backgrounds and the importance of Remembrance Day with the Gazette.

Laz Tollas, 68, major
A military career spanning almost 42 years began as a 24-year-old fresh out of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont.

“I was born in Hungary and we left there under fire and Canada took us in,” Tollas said. “I knew I wanted to be a soldier since I was pretty young and I was delighted to serve in the Canadian military, partly as a thank-you for taking me into this country and giving me all the opportunities that I've had in my life, so it's a bit of payback, as a bit of thank-you.”

For 10 months in 2006, Tollas was a senior mid-level staff officer at the brigade level with civil affairs in Afghanistan.

"We worked closely with the Afghans and I can’t say government because they didn't really have one. They represented Afghanistan’s sort of warlords, civilians, et cetera, in trying to better their lives, and I oversaw five provinces with the provincial construction teams. We sort of co-ordinated activities, et cetera, which was part of my job. We did other things, too, which I won't go into."

The importance of Remembrance Day
“It used to always mean a lot to me, and since Afghanistan it’s meant a hell of a lot more because I lost friends over there and when that happens it really becomes personal and the meaning goes much, much deeper – not that it isn’t deep if you haven’t lost friends, but the closer it hits to home the harder it is and therefore it has more meaning, at least certainly for me,” Tollas said.

“What I'm happy about is what a lot of us did, which allows people to have the choice to attend or not to attend.

“It also allows you to pay respect, not only for the men and women who served, but also for their families who stayed behind. When I went to Afghanistan (my wife Linda) stayed here. She’s my (fricking) hero, especially to not know what’s going on for nine months, whether I’m alive or not. We were rather deep in the (crap) for a while and it was exciting times, I would say. To me, that would be hard on me. I was a trained professional and I knew what I was doing, but for somebody who was not there and to be really concerned and not know what’s going on, to me that's a lot harder, so we never should ever forget the families who support or are affiliated with the lads and gals who are now overseas, including the children of those families.”

Bob Duncan, 74, major
Forty years of service for Duncan started as a 16-year-old “military brat” in 1961.

“At that time in the city with the reserves they had what they called a boys’ soldier company, so you were still going to high school and you would parade on Saturdays. We had, I don't know, probably 500 kids signed up here in the Edmonton reserve district, so that's how I initially joined,” Duncan said. “I served two years as what they called a boy soldier and then at 18 I switched over to the primary reserve and then when I was 20 I went off and joined the regular force.”

Duncan was inspired to pursue a military career by his dad, Robert, who saw action throughout the Second World War and didn't come home until February of 1946, and he also served 13 months in Korea.

“It’s either you like it or you don't like it, especially for army brats. There were a lot of kids that would just have nothing to do with it because of the constant moving and the nonsense that we had to go through, but it was something I’ve always wanted to do and they made the mistake and took me in,” Duncan said.

Tours of duty included United Nations and NATO missions.

“When you go over there your motives are correct, but it’s not a crusade,” Duncan said. “You know you’re doing good, but that's not really the most important thing why you go over there. There is no guy waving a big UN flag and getting down on their knees and thanking God for us being there. That doesn't happen.

“It gets you away from the monotony of serving in Canada,” Duncan added. “You’re on your own. You get the best of equipment that's available, or most of it, so it’s a real job as opposed to other things.”

The importance of Remembrance Day
“We’ve got to remember what the sacrifice was from the boys and girls that served,” Duncan said. “I’m not that naive that by going to Remembrance Day is going to stop wars, but it certainly should bring attention to those who are non-military, that we have people serving and you should remember that.

“We should remember the lessons from the past with what was involved with our veterans, and we should look to the future to make sure that we don't get caught again in those situations.”

Gerry Vida, 78, captain
Vida was almost 18 living in Winnipeg when he decided in December of 1959 to continue his father’s military tradition, as Geza Vida served with the Hungarian Army during the Second World War.

“It taught me responsibility big time, as well as leadership skills, working with people. I had interesting experiences,” said Vida, who was followed into the Canadian Armed Forces by his sons Shandy and Russell.

Vida taught at the Airborne Regiment’s school, became the officer in charge of the Skyhawks’ parachute demonstration team and participated in peacekeeping operations in the 1974 Cypriot War as well as four tours in the Middle East and one tour in Africa.

“I spent a year in the Western Sahara as an unarmed military observer between the Moroccans and Western Sahrawi military. That was interesting. The first eight months of the year I worked with the Sahrawi guerillas, that was interesting, and the last four months I spent with the Moroccan army," Vida said.

After 37 years as a military man, does Vida see the world as a better place today?

“Our world was a lot simpler before. With the technical revolution, that absolutely changed the whole world, no question in my mind, and the political scene has changed big time,” Vida said. “I’m not so sure whether I like living in this world better than 40 years ago. We had more fun 40 years ago. Political correctness, I’m sick and tired of it.”

The importance of Remembrance Day
“The last 10 to 15 years, civilians are becoming more aware of what was going on in the past. The press is doing a fairly good job of putting this kind of stuff in front of the general population and the awareness is picking up,” Vida said

Marty Clavette, 85, sergeant major
Clavette was 21, living in Winnipeg when he enlisted in 1956 and eventually ended up with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Calgary.

“It was a mobile striking force unit, so we were all Airborne. I took a jump course and then I stayed Airborne for 33 years," Clavette said. “I was always Airborne, except when I went to Indochina.”

There was no jumping in Vietnam as a moving control non-commissioned officer driving high-ranked officials.

“I worked for a major and sergeant. I was the bottom of the pile,” Clavette said.

The year in Vietnam “was different. I had no experience, didn't know too much about the country, but the people were very nice and they were also terribly poor, especially in the country,” said Clavette, noting, “The whole (fricking) country was shooting you up.”

The importance of Remembrance Day
“I was looking at this album this morning for a picture of these old guys I knew. They were in World War Two with the para regiment and it struck me these guys were tough old birds. They didn't have too much equipment and it was amazing they were still alive and sane after all that. That was impressive to me,” Clavette said. “But here in St. Albert, it’s amazing what they do. Last year, I presented a wreath for the veterans and I looked at the city hall all the (flags) were down and that was impressive.”

Gord Carter, 87, captain
As a 17-year-old in St. John’s Nfld., Carter joined the military in 1949.

“It was right after we joined Canada, I couldn’t get out of Newfoundland quick enough,” he joked.

Carter was a lance bombardier in Korea from March of 1952 to May of 1953.

“What stands out about Korea besides the poor food and poor clothes? Well, it was a war, so the first time you’re in combat it’s pretty terrifying, the first time you come under fire,” Carter said. “"It was a very good experience. I was glad I went. I learned a lot.”

Carter’s 38-year military career in artillery included two tours of NATO duties in Germany of four and three years.

The importance of Remembrance Day
“It means a whole lot. All the veterans who didn’t make it back, that's the ones we feel sorry for and that's why we have the parade to remember them,” said Carter, adding the participation of the schools has increased the awarenes of Nov. 11 significantly over the years. “Once the schools got started, then it took off and we got a lot more people come out.”

Linda Tollas, 61, logistics
Tollas’ 24 years of service with army, navy and air force was inspired by her father, Edgar Damstrom, who jumped into Normandy on D-Day, and four of his brothers also served in the military.

“I grew up in a big family (of loggers and farmers in the Crowsnest Pass), and if you can’t hold your own in a big family then you can’t join the military. You've got to hold your own and be able to function as a member of that family,” Tollas said.

On being a female in the military
“There is a big difference in women in the military when I was there and women in the military today. All through my military career, one of the lines that everyone used to say was, ‘If you can’t take a joke, you shouldn't have joined.’ So for me, I was one of the boys. I lived and worked in a genderless society. We all had jobs to do and that's what it was all about,” Tollas said.

“I wouldn’t want to be a woman in today's military because there is too much political correctness. You can’t be yourself. I had a great time. I had 20 years. I met some amazing people. I had a great career and a good life and I never had any issues.

“I was in the military when women were first getting into the infantry roles and I don't believe the standards should be lowered because you’re a woman. You do the job the same as everybody else. It shouldn't matter if you’re a female or a male, and I never felt I was a female or a male. I was doing a job. My pay was the same. There is no difference in pay between men and women ... You all get paid the same, so we all should be doing the job, and for me that’s how I reacted and worked.

“But, oh man, we had a lot of fun.”

St. Albert Gazette

by Cooper Thu 07 Nov 2019, 8:06 pm

Decorated army veteran leads Golden Remembrance Day Parade

After tours in Cyprus, Bosnia, and three tours in Afghanistan, Kevin Bannister made Golden his home.

Black Press Media . Nov 7, 2019

After tours in Cyprus, Bosnia, and three tours in Afghanistan, Kevin Bannister made Golden his home.

Right out of high school, Bannister joined the army. Born in Pembroke, Ont., to an army family, it was in 1989 that he enlisted, thanks to support from his father, who did nearly 20 years in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Although the army life is known for moving its members around, Bannister only made one move to Gagetown, New Brunswick. He went there as a sergeant to teach schools for a port observer.

His time on Canadian soil was spent training and teaching, but when he was overseas he worked for the artillery. He spent three tours in Afghanistan in 2002, 2006, and 2008 before retiring from his career. In 2006, Bannister says his team made history, firing more than 3,000 artillery rounds.

What he saw and experienced in Afghanistan changed his life forever. When he returned after his final tour, he was deemed non-operational, and could not go back overseas.

The help he has received from professionals in Golden to assist him through civilian life has been nothing short of “amazing,” he said. When he left the army, Bannister decided to come to the mountains to be close to his sister, who checks in on him every day.

This year, Bannister is leading the Remembrance Day Parade in Golden. Each year, Bannister participates in the parade with his fellow veterans.

“I got to remember the people I lost,” Bannister said.

Before the parade, Bannister spoke to high school students at Golden Secondary School. He focused his speech on bullying, drawing from his experiences in the army. There are many details from his career that are unsuitable to tell teenagers and children, but he wanted his message to hit home to them, and explain why it is important to treat each other fairly and with respect.

In past years, Bannister has also spoken to elementary school children, explaining that because he fought for Canada, moms and dads can go to work, do groceries, and live their lives.

Bannister has two children of his own, Micheal and Max, who are 25 and 22. They live in Ontario near their mother, but Bannister would not let them join the Armed Forces after his own experiences.

“What I went through, nope. They aren’t going in the army,” he said.

Although Bannister is retired from the army, he continues to work as a flagger for Crossroads. He spends a lot of his spare time running and doing physical training, which keeps his mind and body in shape. He would really like to work with Parks Canada in Roger’s Pass. Parks Canada brings in Armed Forces to use canons for avalanche control.

Bannister leads the Remembrance Day Parade on November 11. The parade begins at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #122 Golden, and makes its way to the Cenotaph on the corner of Park Drive and 10th Avenue S. The community is invited out to remember veterans who fought for Canada, and those from other countries.

The Golden Star

by Phantom Thu 07 Nov 2019, 9:15 pm

'He was so proud of his brothers and I'm so proud of him' widow says of veteran

Published Thursday, November 7, 2019

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/he-was-so-proud-of-his-brothers-and-i-m-so-proud-of-him-widow-says-of-veteran-1.4674902

by Phantom Thu 07 Nov 2019, 9:45 pm

11.07.2019

by **Starman** Fri 08 Nov 2019, 8:18 am

‘…I’m proud of where I am because of the military service I did,’ says Anishinaabe Canadian Forces veteran

By Rick Garrick . Posted on November 8, 2019

PAYS PLAT — Pays Plat Councillor Raymond Goodchild, a veteran of Canada’s United Nations peacekeeping mission to Cyprus, usually marches every year in the Remembrance Day services in the nearby community of Schreiber.

“I’m the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Royal Canadian Legion in Schreiber,” says Goodchild, who served for five years with the Canadian Forces from 1979-1983. “I march for all the First Nations people — I put a wreath down for Pays Plat First Nation and put a wreath down for all the First Nation members that I know that came from Pays Plat and around this area.”

In addition to serving in Cyprus, Goodchild also served in Germany, Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick before leaving the Canadian Forces with a rank of corporal. He was recognized with three medals during his tour of duty: a United Nations Force in Cyprus Medal, a Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal, and an Aboriginal Veteran’s medal.

“I travelled all over — I can say I swam in three different oceans in my life,” Goodchild says. “The best part I used to like was flying in helicopters.”

Goodchild says he usually tells youth who are interested in pursuing a career in the Canadian Forces is that it is “an adventure that you will never forget.”

“Even today I still dream about my [Canadian Forces] brothers — I miss them,” Goodchild says. “Other veterans come up to me and we talk and we share our stories about where we’ve been, what we did. It takes a while to disclose or talk about your vulnerability as a veteran.”

Goodchild says his tour of duty with the Canadian Forces saved his life.

“It’s a good life — it’s the best life I had,” Goodchild says. “I could have been somewhere else but today I’m proud where I am because of the military service I did.”

Goodchild says he joined the Canadian Forces after his sister, who had also been in the Canadian Forces, encouraged him to apply.

“I went to New Brunswick for 16 weeks [and] trained on discipline, polishing your boots — your boots were shiny as glass,” Goodchild says. “Your kit was all neat. You did your 16 weeks of learning drill, learning about weapons, learning about different kinds of formations.”

Goodchild says they also used to go for physical training runs beginning at 4 a.m.

“You would be singing songs while you run,” Goodchild says. “You have a platoon of maybe about 20 of us. I have pictures at home of the guys I went through [training] with.”

Goodchild says the members of the platoon were like family.

“They help you, they assist you,” Goodchild says. “They pull you together if you are falling behind on certain things, they motivate you. It was like a band of your brothers.”

Goodchild says he was about 290 pounds when he joined the Canadian Forces and about 145 pounds when he left.

“We did all the marching, left turn, right turn, stand at ease, stand at attention, double time,” Goodchild says. “Double time is when you maybe have a pack on you about 80 pounds and you run double time for maybe 10 miles non-stop.”

Goodchild studied social work after leaving the Canadian Forces.

“It changed my whole life around,” Goodchild says, noting he was “hard as a rock” in the Canadian Forces. “Now I had to be sensitive, I had to be reliable and responsible to every other people in this world. I had to be vulnerable.”

Goodchild is a family support worker in Pays Plat.

Anishinabek News

by Glideon Fri 08 Nov 2019, 11:21 am

'I'm just one of the lucky ones': Canadian veterans recall liberation of the Netherlands

Published Friday, November 8, 2019

https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/i-m-just-one-of-the-lucky-ones-canadian-veterans-recall-liberation-of-the-netherlands-1.4674245

by **Riverway** Fri 08 Nov 2019, 4:56 pm

Stories of fellowship and survival from Canadian veterans

November 8, 2019

https://nationalpost.com/news/postmedia-remembers-stories-of-fellowship-and-survival-from-canadian-veterans

by **Riverway** Fri 08 Nov 2019, 5:12 pm

A dead veteran's car was parked at a hospital for years. His estranged family now knows why

Published Friday, November 8, 2019

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/a-dead-veteran-s-car-was-parked-at-a-hospital-for-years-his-estranged-family-now-knows-why-1.4675997

by **Riverway** Fri 08 Nov 2019, 5:42 pm

11.08.2019

by **Riverway** Fri 08 Nov 2019, 5:43 pm

11.08.2019

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