Re: Memorial

by **SniperGod** Thu 16 May 2019, 9:16 pm

Canadian Forces Afghan memorial dedicated in ceremony three days ago – officials decided to limit publicity

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN >>> May 16, 2019

Memorial - Page 3 Afghan-memorial-screen-shot-2019-05-16-at-4.20.37-pm

The Canadian Forces confirmed Thursday evening on Facebook that it had held a dedication service at the new Afghanistan Memorial Hall at the National Defence Headquarters (Carling) in the west end of Ottawa. But that happened three days earlier on May 13. “The event was attended by senior Canadian military leadership and Department management,” according to the Facebook posting.

No press release was issued. The decision was made by officials to keep the event quiet and only to release the news via Twitter and Facebook at a later date. Families of the fallen were not invited to the dedication ceremony.

No explanation has been provided for the decision to delay the announcement or limit the publicity, other than it was an official decision.

“The importance of this hall for the families of the Fallen, as well as Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence members, cannot be understated,” Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance noted in the Facebook posting. “We must maintain the memories of those who fell, and those who returned, from Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. We will remember them.”

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“The Hall and the memorial are not open to the general public, but will be made accessible to families of the Fallen upon request,” according to the Canadian Forces Facebook posting.

The cenotaph at Kandahar airfield became a symbol for many Canadians of the losses during the Afghan war. Canadian Forces personnel and Afghan employees built it in 2006 and added to the monument over time. On the cenotaph are 190 plaques that honour Canadian Forces members who died as well as Foreign Affairs official Glyn Berry, Calgary Herald journalist Michelle Lang, and Marc Cyr, a civilian from a company under contract to the DND. Other plaques honour U.S. military personnel and a civilian member who died while serving under Canadian command.

In 2011 a military working group recommended the cenotaph be located on DND property at Dow’s Lake in Ottawa so it would be accessible to both families of the fallen and to the public who wanted to pay their respects. That recommendation, however, was overruled.

Some Afghan war veterans have worried that the conflict they fought in will be forgotten by Canadians.

(Photos from Canadian Forces Facebook showing Afghan memorial dedication ceremony)

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/afghan-memorial-dedicated-in-ceremony-three-days-ago-officials-decided-to-limit-publicity

by Ironman Tue 21 May 2019, 8:53 am

Newfoundland sailor continued to fight terror after losing brother in Afghanistan\

Glen Whiffen (glen.whiffen@thetelegram.com)
Published: May 21, 2019

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Michael Kennedy at a memorial in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in honour of his younger brother Kevin Kennedy who was killed in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on April 8, 2007.

'I had big shoes to fill and had to carry his legacy forward'

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — When Leading Seaman Michael Kennedy lost his only brother in the war in Afghanistan in 2007, it changed his views of his own military career.
Pte. Kevin Kennedy was killed in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on April 8, 2007, a loss that is still heavily felt by Michael Kennedy.

The two brothers were close growing up in St. Lawrence — Michael being just two years older than Kevin — playing soccer together and hanging around with the same group of friends.

“Every day I think about Kevin,” Michael Kennedy said last week during a visit home to Newfoundland.

“Everything I did in my career … I really took my career seriously after he gave his life and what he went through. I wanted to experience what he did, and it’s fortunate that I was able to make it home.

“Just thinking back that he gave his life at such a young age, just 20 years old, gave his life for his country, and it felt like I had big shoes to fill and had to carry his legacy forward.”

Michael Kennedy served as a naval combat information operator in the Canadian Navy at the beginning of his military career.

"...it felt like I had big shoes to fill and had to carry his legacy forward.” — Micheal Kennedy

He was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom as the Canadian Navy joined an international force in the Arabian Gulf region to keep it safe from piracy on the sea and to counter terrorism.

“Back in 2016 I got out of the Canadian Forces (after 13 years) and actually went to Iraq and Syria and volunteered with the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the YPG — People’s Protection Unit,” he said. “These are the Kurdish militias that have been fighting, supported by the Western coalition, so they are the main ground forces involved in the war against ISIS.

“It was a big experience and I ended up in an Iraqi prison. We were heading out of Syria and crossing into Iraqi territory, and there was a rival faction controlling the area we were going through and we ended up being taken to an Iraqi prison for 10 days.

“We were put in a cell with our enemy fighters. About 100 men in one cell. Food was very scarce, no beds and one toilet.”

Michael Kennedy said he was with a multinational team at the time made up of Germans, Americans, British and French. They were all freed after each of their country’s embassies got involved.

Last year, he served with the French Foreign Legion.

Now, he is returning to civilian life.

“It started to set in that I needed a change in life and career, for my own mental health,” he said. “Just to have some stability in life and to give my poor mother a break away from all the stress of having a son deployed in a war zone after what happened to Kevin.”

https://www.thewesternstar.com/news/local/newfoundland-sailor-continued-to-fight-terror-after-losing-brother-in-afghanistan-313805/

by Ranger Wed 22 May 2019, 8:27 am

'An insult': Families of dead soldiers offended at being left out of low-key Afghanistan memorial event

Murray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: May 22, 2019

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Josee Belisle, mother of Cpl. Yannick Scherrer, sobs at the sight of her son's remembrance plaque on the cenotaph to fallen Canadians at Kandahar Airfield, on Tuesday May 24, 2011. She is comforted by Maj. Grahame Thompson, the senior Canadian task force padre, and an unidentified friend of her son.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/afghanistan-war-memorial-cenotaph-1.5143986

by Ranger Wed 22 May 2019, 8:32 am

Christie Blatchford: A war memorial ‘built for soldiers by soldiers’ — that soldiers can’t even go see

Christie Blatchford
May 21, 2019

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“The decision to hold a humble, internal event was made by senior leadership to ensure proper reverence,” a Canadian Forces spokesman said.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/christie-blatchford-our-war-memorial-built-for-soldiers-by-soldiers-that-soldiers-cant-even-go-see

by Cooper Wed 22 May 2019, 7:11 pm

May 22, 2019

Veterans, families of fallen Afghanistan soldiers excluded from war memorial event

WATCH: Canada marks five years since the end of its Afghanistan mission

https://globalnews.ca/news/5301649/veterans-families-afghanistan-war-memorial/

by Cooper Wed 22 May 2019, 7:21 pm

Trudeau says he will get answers on Kandahar memorial flub while Sajjan looks on

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN May 22, 2019

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https://leaderpost.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-forces-scrambling-to-figure-out-vances-statement-on-kandahar-memorial/wcm/8209749b-6629-4af1-95af-422418cba8ad

by Cooper Wed 22 May 2019, 8:06 pm

Vets' families outraged over secret Afghanistan memorial ceremony

CBC News
Published on May 22, 2019

by Cooper Wed 22 May 2019, 8:12 pm

Top soldier acknowledges handling of Afghan memorial 'hit a nerve;' vows access

Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, May 22, 2019

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/top-soldier-acknowledges-handling-of-afghan-memorial-hit-a-nerve-vows-access-1.4432632

by Gridlock Thu 23 May 2019, 7:21 pm

Don Martin: Gen. Vance's leadership is no longer worth saluting

Published Thursday, May 23, 2019

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/don-martin-s-blog/don-martin-gen-vance-s-leadership-is-no-longer-worth-saluting-1.4434750

by **Hammercore** Fri 24 May 2019, 8:31 am

An open letter to Harjit Sajjan concerning the Afghan War Memorial

Published:
May 23, 2019

Memorial - Page 3 Harjit-sajjan-e1557973478229

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/forsyth-an-open-letter-to-harjit-sajjan-concerning-the-afghan-war-memorial

by Spectrum Fri 24 May 2019, 12:28 pm

Canada’s Afghan fallen don’t even rate a press release - why the secrecy on the Kandahar memorial ceremony?

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN May 24, 2019

Memorial - Page 3 Public-affairs-historic

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadas-afghan-fallen-dont-even-rate-a-press-release-why-the-secrecy-on-the-kandahar-memorial-ceremony

by Marshall Fri 24 May 2019, 5:39 pm

May 24, 2019

Top soldier apologizes after outcry over restricted Afghanistan memorial, pledges to make it public

A memorial to Canadian veterans who died in Afghanistan has been placed inside a government building that is not accessible to the public. As Mercedes Stephenson reports, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now facing questions over why the families of fallen soldiers weren't informed about the tribute.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5312701/afghanistan-memorial-outcry-jonathan-vance/

by Marshall Fri 24 May 2019, 5:41 pm

New Afghanistan memorial will be opened to public, Gen. Jonathan Vance says

May 24, 2019

https://www.baytoday.ca/national-news/new-afghanistan-memorial-will-be-opened-to-public-gen-jonathan-vance-says-1472053

by Marshall Fri 24 May 2019, 6:22 pm

Tone deaf Liberals

True North
Published on May 24, 2019

by **Trooper** Fri 24 May 2019, 6:37 pm

Marshall wrote:
May 24, 2019

Top soldier apologizes after outcry over restricted Afghanistan memorial, pledges to make it public

A memorial to Canadian veterans who died in Afghanistan has been placed inside a government building that is not accessible to the public. As Mercedes Stephenson reports, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now facing questions over why the families of fallen soldiers weren't informed about the tribute.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5312701/afghanistan-memorial-outcry-jonathan-vance/

This guy is a disgrace to the uniform, and an embarrassment to the service. But hey, he is working under Trudeau, so for all of his incompetence Trudeau gives him a raise. This is the facts that is staring us all right in the face!!!

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