Remembering Our Fallen

Remembering Our Fallen

by: Cpl Jason Lamont

We all stand at attention,

left arms stiff at our sides.

Bodies straight, tall and proud,

right arm saluting in pride.

Our fallen comrades are hoisted up,

to shoulder height they lay.

Carried by eight of their brothers in arms,

then the Bag Pipes start to play.

The music moves our souls,

with the spirits of the lost.

All four are slow-marched in succession,

following two men with a cross.

We struggle to fight the tears,

the hurt inside starts to swell.

Our throats get all choked up,

I feel the need to yell.

Why was it you and not me?

the guilt I feel is so intense.

But that question can never be answered,

death will never make sense.

Tears now fill our eyes,

as the silver coffins are marched past.

The Canadian flag drapes across them,

flags that will forever be at half-mast.

We think about the battle,

we think about their lives.

We think of all the memories,

we pray for their families and wives.

These soldiers fought for their country,

and paid the ultimate cost.

They are brave and truly courageous,

and their memory will never be lost.

We know they’ve met St. Peter,

and are beyond heaven’s pearly gates.

They’re at peace now from this hellish war,

and away from all this hate.

Our arms snap to attention,

and we taste our salty tears.

We hurt so much for the loss of you,

we wish that you were still here.

We bow our heads in one last prayer,

touch your caskets and say goodbye.

We will miss you all so dearly,

but will smile when we look up at the sky.

We’ll think of you often,

and how you’ve touched us all.

We’ll go and celebrate the lives you led,

we’ll stay up until last call.

We’ll hold our glasses high,

and we’ll cheers to your life and name.

And we’ll slam that shot down and smile,

beause we know you’re doing the same.

Written By: Corporal Jason Lamont

Health Service and Support Company (HSS Coy)

Task Force ORION

August 5, 2006

"Thank you Cpl Jason Lamont.

You have given us the perspective from a soldier's side

- one many families and friends have not experienced. "

~m.m.

Soldier Charged

Shilo Soldier Charged in Death of Master Corporal Jeffrey Walsh
Department of National Defence

Master Cpl. Jeffrey Scott Walsh

On August 9th, Canadian soldier Master Cpl. Jeffrey Scott Walsh, based out of Shilo, Manitoba with the second battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) was killed in Afghanistan after being accidentally shot by a fellow Canadian soldier about noon that day. This was just days after arriving in Kandahar to begin his tour of duty.

Walsh was conducting routine operations along Highway One near the Zhari district centre, about 20 km west of Kandahar city, when the accident occurred.He had arrived in Kandahar less than a week before as part of a month-long relief-in-place operation that would see the new rotation replace more than 2,000 troops returning to Canada.Lt.-Col. Brian Irwin, chief of staff for Task Force Afghanistan said Canadian soldiers come to Afghanistan only after receiving the best possible training and come outfitted with the "best possible" weapons and equipment. "In a theatre like this, though, there is always a small degree or margin for error," he said. "Regrettably, in this incident it appears that there was an accident and certainly appears that that margin of error may have been crossed."

Today, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) charged a soldier stationed at Canadian Forces Base Shilo, today, in relation to the shooting.

MCpl Robbie Fraser, of the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regiment (PPCLI), was charged with one count of Manslaughter, contrary to Section 130 of the National Defence Act, pursuant to Section 236 of the Criminal Code, and one count of Negligent Performance of Duty, contrary to Section 124 of the National Defence Act.The CFNIS is an independent Military Police unit with a mandate to investigate serious and sensitive matters in relation to National Defence property, DND employees and CF personnel serving in Canada and abroad.
To view Walsh's Memoriam: http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/LFWA/memoriam_walsh.htm

Cpl Kevin Megeney

Canada's Fallen Soldier, CPL. Kevin Megeney,

Begins His Journey Home to Heavy Hearts

06-March 2007
Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
Photos by: Cpl Dan Pop

Members of Joint Task Force Afghanistan conduct a "ramp ceremony" for the departure of the remains of Corporal Kevin Megeney at the Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan (KAF). Corporal Megeney, a reservist from the 1st Battalion of the Nova Scotia Highlanders located in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, died on 6 March 2007 from a gunshot wound sustained on KAF. Joint Task Force Afghanistan’s National Investigation Service Detachment is investigating the matter.
Comrades gathered Wednesday to say goodbye to a Canadian soldier who died in a mysterious shooting in his tent at the Kandahar air field in Afghanistan.
"He was generally, I think, one of the best people I've ever met. A little red-headed guy with the biggest heart," Master Cpl. Nathan Crosby of 1st Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders, said Wednesday of Cpl. Kevin Megeney.
The dead soldier's comrades stood 10-deep under the lights of the night-time ramp ceremony.
"Ask anybody who knows him and they'd all say the same thing: Everybody loves him," said Crosby, a pallbearer.
Cpl. Brent Bowden, another pallbearer and platoon mate, will be accompanying Megeney's body home.
"It was an honour to be a friend of his. It's an honour to know his family. And it's an honour to me as well to be going back with him," he said.
Megeney, who was assigned as a guard at the main gate into the Kandahar base, died as Canadians began a major deployment as part of Operation Achilles in southern Afghanistan.

A Veteran Comforts Cpl. Megeney's father during repatriation at CFB Trenton.

To the Megeney Family, friends and comrades:

My heart and prayers are with you as you try to cope with and suffer the loss of a hero our Canadian Hero. He was a brave soldier, venturing to a land to help others whom had never met. God bless you and Cpl Megeney. ~m.m.

Gov. General Spends Women's Day in Afghanistan

Governor General visiting Afghanistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai shakes

hands with Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean
at the presidential palace in Kabul Thursday.

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean landed in Afghanistan on Thursday for her first visit to the war-ravaged country.
Jean, who is commander in chief of Canada's armed forces, started the visit by meeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the capital Kabul.
She also plans to speak to soldiers, RCMP teams, aid workers, diplomats and other Canadians working in Afghanistan.
For security reasons, the Governor General's trip was kept secret until her plane touched down in Kabul on Thursday.
She arrives in time to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, and is expected to speak with leading Afghan women.
"The women of Afghanistan may face the most unbearable conditions, but they never stop fighting for survival," Jean said in a statement.

Of course, we, the rest of the women around the world, took too long to hear the cries of our Afghani sisters, but I am here to tell them that they are no longer alone. And neither are the people of Afghanistan."
Along with daily discrimination, women and girls in Afghanistan commonly live with the risk of violence, rape, kidnappings and forced marriage, according to Amnesty International.
In the statement released on Thursday, Jean said Canada is proud to be among the 37 countries restoring stability in the region and wished the Afghan people "peace, prosperity and happiness" on a "difficult, sometimes painful, journey."
Jean had previously asked permission to visit the capital, but was denied twice due to security concerns, the Canadian Press reported last year.
That was despite similar visits by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor.
Jean's predecessor, Adrienne Clarkson, visited Canadian troops in Kabul on New Year's Day 2005.

Bless Our Soldier

Corporal Kevin Megeney

March 6th, 2007

Today, we grieve alongside the families and friends of Canadian Soldier, Corporal Kevin Megeney, a reserve member of the 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders, serving at Kandahar Airfield. He succumbed to a gunshot wound shortly after 7 p.m. Kandahar time today. "Enemy action has been ruled out since the incident occurred within the secure confines of Kandahar airfield," the Defence Ministry said in a news release.

Megeney, 25, had volunteered to go to Afghanistan because he wanted to improve the lives of poor Afghans. He had been in Afghanistan since December 8th.

His sister Lisa said her younger brother was excited to be going to the war-torn country, despite fears among family members that he might be injured. "He said that he was going to help people," she said. "He wanted to turn things around, so the Afghans could live like we live... He took so much pride in it."

Words cannot express the grief his loved ones must be feeling today. My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends and comrades of our fallen soldier- our hero working to make the world a better and safer place - as he begins his journey back home.

Waterloo Council to Honour Local Regiments

On Monday, March 5th at 6:30 p.m.'s meeting,

Waterloo council will be honouring our Returning Afghanistan Veterans
of 31 CER (the Elgins) 48 FES and Royal Highland Fusiliers Waterloo Regiment

Picture © by Military Mom

A big HUA for Waterloo!

Currently, Waterloo proudly displays yellow ribbons at City Hall and Cenotaph areas,

and tomorrow they will be honouring their local regiments!

This is truly an honourable way to show our soldiers support.

Thank you Waterloo!

Article March 6-07 in "The Record"

Waterloo honours returning soldiers
TAMSIN MCMAHON

WATERLOO (Mar 6, 2007)
Cpl. John Sugrim spent his 25th birthday in Afghanistan, building roads and digging trenches as part of local military reserve forces.
Last night, Sugrim was back in his military fatigues, this time to shake hands with Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran just days after returning home from a six-month tour of duty.
While he is happiest to see his family, fiancée and baby niece and goddaughter, Sugrim said he was also thankful for the support he's gotten from total strangers in the community since returning home late last month.
"When you go out to Fairview Park mall and see people with yellow ribbons pinned to their jacket or coat, it just brings a smile to your face," said Sugrim, who lives in Kitchener.
Last night, he was of 10 soldiers with local reserve units, 31 Combat Engineer Regiment, 48 Field Engineer Squadron and the Royal Highland Fusiliers, honoured by the City of Waterloo as returning veterans of war.
As she thanked each soldier, Halloran said she was surprised to see how young they were.
"That's what really struck me is your youth and what you've gone through," she told the soldiers, most of whom are in their 20s. "None of us can even imagine the experiences you've had."
The soldiers also honoured the city for its policies supporting city employees who join the reserves.
The city allows employees time off for military training and tops up salaries for those on leave. Four city employees are in the reserves, including troop commander Lt. Ron Ormston, also a scientist at development services.
Kitchener, Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo have similar policies for employees who join the reserves.
Aside from serving in Afghanistan, reservists also support their local communities, Ormston said, by cleaning up after floods or digging out after winter storms.
The presentation comes just days before the military's major recruiting drive in Cambridge aimed to attract as many as 100 new applicants.
The Canadian army increasingly relies on reserves to boost its forces in Afghanistan, said Henrik Noesgaard, of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council, which presented the city with an award.
About 300 reservists were sent to Afghanistan this year. That number is expected to double by early next year, Noesgaard said.
"It's critically important that we support our reservists," he said.
Along with Sugrim, other local Afghanistan veterans honoured at Waterloo City Hall last night were Corporals Matthew Austin, Rodney Grubb, Cameron Hunt, Vincent Lacharite, Christopher Lock, Ryan Pagnacco, Justin Prno, Jessica Umlandt and Lee Willcocks.
tmcmahon@therecord.com

Come Home Soon

Dedicated to military wives and husbands.



(The last picture seems somewhat familiar..hmm..)

Breakfast in Afghanistan

Breakfast - in Afghanistan

Canadian Soldiers on Patrol in Afghanistan
A Company Soldiers explain morning routine while on armoured patrol in the Panjwayi desert

Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan

Support Group Meeting

Waterloo Region

by: Jane Annandale

The meeting at the 404 Wing, our “new home” was indeed a special event. Over 40 attended the inaugural event including 404 Wing representatives Mike Turos and 404 President Vic Snowdon.


The monthly meeting of Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan was held on Saturday, February 24th at 404 Wing RCAFA on Dutton Drive in Waterloo. This is as association of families who support each other through the anxieties of having a soldier on rotation in Afghanistan. This meeting marked the beginning of their association with 404 Wing and all further meetings will be held at this location.

The large number of members and guests were honoured by the presence of two notable speakers. Mr Jawed Ludin, former Chief of Staff to President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Lt Commander Albert Wong, head of Public Relations for the Department of National Defence, came to the meeting in a private capacity to give personal and candid messages of encouragement and thanks for the great service that our Canadian Troops are bringing to the people of Afghanistan. The general population of that country know that they will benefit from the presence of NATO Forces, and that there must be peace and stability to rebuild the infrastructure, commerce and industry that will take them from one of the poorest nations in the world to a position of self sufficiency. Both speakers answered many questions and helped to give a clear picture of what our monetary and military contributions have achieved. It is only with a continued presence of the 37 countries in Afghanistan, and especially the bravery and steadfast efforts of our Canadian Troops that the country will achieve its goals. Appreciation was also expressed for the support that our soldiers receive from their families and for the sacrifice of families who have troops away on foreign service.

The next meeting of Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan will be on March 31, 2007 at 7:30 pm at RCAFA 404 Wing, 510 Dutton Drive in Waterloo. Anyone wishing to attend the meeting should email focsia@hotmail.com or phone Kerry Townson, Membership Secretary at 519-888-9398.

LCmdr Meets with FOCSIA in Waterloo

Lieutenant-Commander Albert Wong knows all about the incidents that make the news, but he also knows about a whole other side of the Afghanistan story that rarely makes the front page — and that, he says, is really too bad, because a lot of them actually contain good news for the country and its people.
Wong, who works out of the National Defence Public Affairs office in Toronto, met with and spoke before the support group "Families of Canadian Soldiers in Aghanistan" in Waterloo on Saturday evening. His message is that Canada is making a very real and positive difference in a lot of people’s lives.
“I was in Afghanistan for one year, from August, of 2005 to August of 2006,” he says. “I was sent there as part of a Canadian government team of 15 people called the Strategic Advisory Team (Afghanistan) and our mandate was to help the government ... build the capacity for strategic planning, helping them develop plans and strategies for economic development and for the progress of the country in areas like health, education and rural development.”
Although he concedes the battles and bombs make more headlines, it’s the quiet work on the ground, in the cities and the rural countryside, that is key to getting the war-ravaged countries — one of the poorest in the world — back on its feet.
“First of all, there is a roadmap the government has for their people, and they’ve consulted widely in the country,” he says. “They have a five-year development strategy, weighted towards the rural population. Through this strategy we want to help increase the indicators of life. We need to help them find their footing after 30 years of war.”
What this means, he says, is improving the literacy rate, particularly for women, decreasing the infant mortality rate and providing employment opportunities as well as food self-sufficiency.
This, he says, comes in the form of constructing schools and medical clinics, and a national solidarity program funded through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) but run by the Afghan government. In this program, villagers elect a community development council through secret ballot and they plan, implement and monitor their own development projects.
“We see a lot of hope and promise,” Wong says. “We are still at a crossroads, but they have a clear plan and the international community is committed to that plan in terms of support,” Wong says. “We’re in the first year of that plan and we need to follow through.”
Although Wong says the aid to Afghanistan has managed to increase the daily income by 100 per cent to some of the poorest people in the country, that only works out to an increase from 50 cents per day to $1. The minimum poverty standard recognized around the world is $2 per day.
“We still have a long way to go,” he concedes.
The resurgent Taliban have caused disruptions, but only to about one percent of the projects funded by the Canadians, Wong says.
“The Taliban definitely slows down the development program,” he says. “You need security for development and very clearly the fighting has affected the development, but it hasn’t stopped it. We had significant battles last fall and in the wake of that, two things happened. First, the people who fled ahead of the fighting didn’t go to Pakistan. They went to Kandahar City for shelter. It’s an expression of confidence in their own country. After the fighting we went right back in and put in a significant amount of effort to rebuild what was destroyed, regardless of who did it.”
Of those who fled the Panjawar District, 70 per cent returned home after the fighting, another sign there’s a growing confidence in the government, Wong says.
Being able to help people in such a basic and important way was rewarding for Wong, and for many other Canadian personnel involved in the country. He says he plans to go back at the first opportunity.
“I don’t know when I’ll go back, but I will,” he says. “You talk to most of the Canadian soldiers who come back, and they would want to go back. It’s a worthwhile mission ... The biggest fear Afghans have is to be left behind by the international community again.”

Former Chief of Staff for Afghan President Visits with FOCSIA in Waterloo

On Saturday, February 24th, 2007, Jawed Ludin, the former chief of staff for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, along with is wife and children met with Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan in Waterloo. Speaking with the support group, Ludin personally thanked a couple of the soldiers in attendance who recently returned from Afghanistan, for the work they did and for attended the group's meeting Saturday in Waterloo and were thanked personally for their committment and endeavours served overseas for his country.
On June 28, 2005 at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, had issued a decree appointing Mr. Jawed Ludin as the Chief of the Staff of the President.Jawed Ludin was born in Kabul on 16 March, 1973. He went to school at Ghazi High School in Kabul and went to university in London, the UK and earned his Masters Degree in Politics and Sociology in 2001. Jawed Ludin also has experience of working for international organizations in the areas of management, international development and public relations. He has served as the Spokesman and Director of communications of the President since May, 2003.
On Saturday, February 24th, 2007, Jawed Ludin, the former chief of staff for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, currently visiting family in Waterloo, met with Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan in Waterloo.
The Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan would be dead overnight if Pakistan were forced to stop supporting them, says a senior Afghanistan government official.
"The root and the sources of terrorist indoctrination, terrorist support, terrorist mobilization, terrorist financing, terrorist training and terrorist launching -- all of this happens to be based in Pakistan," Ludin said.
Every Canadian soldier who has served in Afghanistan is viewed as a hero by the overwhelming majority of the people there, Ludin said.
"Afghanistan is grateful obviously to have Canada on its side," Ludin said.
The bombings in Madrid and London, as well as the attacks of 9/11, are all linked to terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ludin said.
"It would obviously be easier and more comfortable for all Canadians and their soldiers to be back in Canada, but life is not always about easy choices. The difficult choice is the right choice, and that's to be there," Ludin said.
The Italian prime minister recently saw his government fall over his support for keeping


He helped the United Nations organize the Bonn conference of November 2001 that laid out the democratic framework for a post-Taliban Afghanistan. He returned to Afghanistan to work for the president's office in May 2003.
"There is a large consensus internationally that it is vital for this country to become secure and stable again in order for the world to be safe from the threat of terrorism," Ludin said.
NDP Leader Jack Layton, and other MPs have called for a major change of direction in Canada's mission in Afghanistan. Those critics want Canadian troops to focus more on development work, rather than fighting.
But Ludin said both are needed at the same time.
"It's through development that you will ensure the long-term sustainability of this effort."
"You have to defeat the enemy of stability in Afghanistan in order to be able to help Afghanistan recover and develop economically," Ludin said.
The roots of terrorism in Afghanistan were planted in the 1980s. Money from Saudi Arabia was used by Pakistan's intelligence agencies to set up religious schools (Madrassas) where young recruits were indoctrinated into extremist Islam.
The Soviets were driven out of Afghanistan, but the Madrassas remained.
The Taliban came out of these schools. Talib means religious student.
Ludin said Pakistan and Afghanistan never accepted the border between the two countries when Pakistan was created in 1947.
And now Pakistani intelligence uses Islamic extremism to undermine any nationalist tendencies in the provinces that border Afghanistan.
The Muslim radicals running the Madrassas, the Taliban and Pakistani intelligence agency known as ISI form what Ludin calls an evil triangle.
"This triangle is the evil triangle that has to be dismantled if the world is ever going to be safe from terrorism" Ludin said.

For more information on the Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan support group, call Kerry Townson at 519-888-9398 or e-mail focsia@hotmail.com

Tributes and Support

"We support our troops!"

He's Home!

He's home!!

_

My son is home!!

Driving to Trenton, my cell phone rings. It's my son. (the last time this happened in Trenton was the day his plane was flying through the clouds enroute to a country so far away)

They arrived in the Prime Minister's plane.

His plane touched Canadian soil ~ home. I cried with my dear friend Rita who was trying to see the road ahead through the tears~ Her son was in that same plane!

In the terminal (with permission) we hung up my "hand crafted" Welcome Home sign - adorning the small holes in it that my son's dog had artistically created.

We put up yellow bows (of course). .. and waited. I said to Rita, "it's a shame no one is fussing when the soldiers come through the sliding door. Let's applaud them." ... soon everyone followed suit - soon, all the people in the terminal applauded as each soldier walked through that sliding door! Pride- we showed pride, pride in our soldiers and all they have accomplished, their difficult tasks, the missions being carried forth - now by the courageous soldiers of the next rotation. They walked through the door with a smile, the Afghan dust still clinging to their bags.

Soon I saw him, desert uniform, a scarf- (as seen on many soldiers), pushing a cart of bags, my son. I shrieked (scaring the staff) and ran to him to give him a hug- holding him and looking at him, looking at him the same as the day he was born - a familiar euphoria.

He is home, he is in Canada, he's home.

(shivering)

Ribbons Flutter in Waterloo

Yellow Bows Flutter in Waterloo!

-

-

After sending emails out and campaigning to the Tri Cities, it is overwhelming and heartening to see our soldiers' yellow ribbon welcome come to fruition.
I'd like to personally thank City of Waterloo's Mayor and Council Members for honouring our troops with yellow ribbons! It left me in awe when I saw the ribbons aligning the walkway to their city hall. As well, they have adorned the area of the cenotaph with yellow. What a spectacular "Welcome Home" to our soldiers coming home from Afghanistan and that they were not and will not be forgotten. Thank you Waterloo!

-----

Cambridge Welcomes Our Troops Home

Cambridge Welcomes Our Troops Home With Yellow Ribbons!

-

Cambridge has shown great support and pride in honouring our troops home from Afghanistan. This week, Mayor Doug Craig was seen putting up bows himself! Taking a drive around the centre core of Galt, one can not help but not notice the yellow ribbons proudly tied onto the trees on both sides of the streets! In the evening when the trees are lit - the ribbons- Cambridge people, welcome our soldiers, our heroes home. We did not forget, we will not forget. Personally, I'd like to thank Mayor Craig and the Cambridge council for remembering our soldiers who are returning home from Afghanistan.

You have instilled a great sense of pride in our soldiers.

On behalf of military families and friends a big HUA!

and THANK YOU!

Report from the Cambridge Times:

Ray Martin, Cambridge

(Feb 20, 2007)
The City of Cambridge is welcoming troops returning from Afghanistan by adorning public buildings with yellow ribbons and bows.
"We started putting them out last week as a symbol of remembrance and hope," said Mayor Doug Craig.
The bows have gone up in front of the municipal offices, old city hall, local fire halls, and community centres.
Ten members of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada (RHFC), the local militia regiment, have been serving with Canada's regular forces in Afghanistan since the fall. Those troops are now being rotated back to Canada and have been returning individually and in small groups. Seven have already returned and the final three are expected back in the next few weeks.
"I've had a number of calls from people in the community and we have a staff member whose daughter is serving over there, so it only seems right to honour these soldiers as they make their way home again," Craig said.
Officials with the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada say no special ceremonies are being planned to welcome the returning troops.
"They are decompressing right now, spending time away from the army with their families," said Major Jarrett McDonald.
Although the troops have served overseas and may have seen combat, this is simply another regular troop rotation as far as the regiment is concerned, McDonald explained.
"We've got nothing special planned for our people returning from Afghanistan," he said.

YELLOW BOWS!

CITY HALL IN KITCHENER IS ADORNED WITH YELLOW BOWS!

With much thanks to Mayor Carl Zehr and city council members, the fluttering of yellow bows can be heard and seen on Kitchener City Hall. After seeing Guelph's City Hall, I thought "why not ask council if they could do the same?" So I did. I asked Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.
What a wonderful way to say "thank you" to our troops. It not only honours them, but it also honours their families and friends. Many soldiers will be returning to the Waterloo Region over the next couple of weeks... the ribbons await to welcome them.

"Thank you-City of Kitchener from the bottom of our hearts! "

Below is a news release from the City of Kitchener:

For Immediate Release
February 19, 2007

Kitchener Ties Yellow Ribbons to Honour Troops
KITCHENER – In honour of local soldiers returning from Afghanistan, the City of Kitchener has attached yellow ribbons to the front of City Hall. The ribbons are a sign of the community’s appreciation for our local servicemen and servicewomen.

They are also a “welcome home” gesture for the several area residents who will be returning from duty periodically for the next three weeks.

“We truly appreciate those who left friends and family behind and travelled so far from home in service to their country,” said Mayor Carl Zehr. “We want to warmly welcome them home.”

A growing number of people are showing their support for Canadian troops by tying yellow ribbons to their homes and businesses, and several area municipalities have followed suit.

The ribbons will be in place at Kitchener City Hall until approximately March 12th.

-30-

For more information:

Cathy Gravelle
Office of the Mayor and Council
City of Kitchener
519-741-2859
cathy.gravelle@kitchener.ca

Michael May
Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing
City of Kitchener
519-741-2935
michael.may@kitchener.ca

Afghanistan

To View Closer, Click on Map below:

Waiting for You

Note to family and friends:

___

Display a yellow ribbon today

for our soldiers.

To our soldiers -

Your family and friends will always be

"right here waiting for you."

Display Yellow Ribbons

It was a little more than 6 months ago today that I went to Trenton for a "dry run" ha ha ( a couple weeks before my son's deployment.) There at the fence, I met a mother of a soldier (who was being deployed that day.) I stood back, and took some pictures for her of her son's plane. I sobbed, knowing I would be that mother in 2 weeks. I could only imagine how she felt.. I too would be in her shoes.. seeing a son bravely leave for a land on the other side of the world, not knowing what he would encounter and what would present itself to them.
After seeing the dot of a plane and the noise of the engine disappear into the skies, she turned and we hugged, crying together. Since that date, we have been in contact with each other, supporting each other. It's hard to believe it was 6 months ago... now our sons are coming home. As with other military moms, "Section Moms", military families, and friends, our yellow ribbons are up awaiting their return home.

"Thank you C." ~from Military Mom.


Adams' plane departing Trenton

Waving and wiping tears as the plane taxis down the runway

His plane flies up into the clouds to a land so far away,
a destiny many brave soldiers have journeyed.

Display yellow ribbons,
February 13, 2007
By Times-Journal Staff

Carol Adams looks out the window of her Talbotville home and counts.“I have three … four … five … eight; one on each post of the front porch and the three trees, and the mailbox.”She is counting the yellow ribbons she has tied as a show of support for her son, Capt. Ryan Adams, operations officer for 31 CER (The Elgins), and for other Elgins in Afghanistan.Since summer, Ryan Adams has been one of 12 members of the unit serving overseas on Canada’s mission.
With their expected return beginning this week, Carol Adams is hoping the community will join in a salute of yellow ribbons throughout St. Thomas and Elgin.“I think it would be great for the community to show its support, to welcome the troops home with yellow ribbons,” says the Mary Kay area representative who is married to retired London, Ont., police detective Bill Adams. He’s also a past president of the Royal Canadian Legion Lord Elgin Branch 41, St. Thomas.An Elgin now serving in the regular armed force, Ryan Adams and the reservists he’s with come from communities across the region. And in Guelph, Ont., the city has tied yellow ribbons to city hall and other public buildings in their honour.The continued campaign is being promoted by a military mom, who has posted it to a blog at militarymomathome.blogspot.com.
Adams doesn’t speak directly about her concern for her son, 29, a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Western Ontario. A younger brother is studying political science and economics at the school.Ryan Adams was home at Christmas on leave and Carol Adams said it was difficult to see him return to Afghanistan. She repeats, “We’ll be glad to have him home.”But she says she has been heartened by the yellow ribbons she has seen already in the community.She acknowledges -- and respects -- the debate about Canada’s place in Afghanistan but says she believes everyone, no matter what stand, still can support the individual men and women who are tasked with the mission.And says Bill Adams, “People are extremely supportive.”

Keep the Home Fires Burning

Keep the home fires burning,
While your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home.
There's a silver lining
Through the dark cloud shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
'Til the boys come home.

A popular song in World War I.

The lyrics are by Lena Ford and the music by Ivor Novello.

1914

Story of Keeping the "Home Fires Burning" : During World War I, soldiers relied on their wives and sweethearts to keep the home fires burning (keeping the homes in order) when they marched off to war.