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A fellow Deputy, Police Advisor and co worker was killed Christmas Eve here in Kabul Afghanistan. Not only do we have our brave young soldiers out there in harms way, there are hundreds of US Police Officers embedded with these soldiers, training and mentoring the Afghans. These men and women are volunteers, they live and work with our US Military doing a job that is rarely recognized. Please give a nod and a prayer for the familiy of Joe Griffin, and another for all our people over here. May you all have a safe and happy new year. http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/20476093/p
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here's a few interesting facts about the rolling wall,thought maybe you would enjoy knowing, steve , A little history most people will never know. Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties. The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall. 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger. 8,283 were just 19 years old. The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old. 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old. 5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old. One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old. 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam .. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam .. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. 54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia . I wonder why so many from one school. 8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded. 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall. Beallsville , Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons. West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall. The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest . And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home. The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam . In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths. The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred. For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors. Please pass this on to those who served during this time, and those who DO Care.
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Viet Nam Veteran Statistics A little history most people will never know. Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall "Carved on these walls is the story of America , of a continuing quest to preserve both Democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream." ~President George Bush SOMETHING to think about - Most of the surviving Parents are now Deceased. There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties. Beginning at the apex on panel 1E and going out to the end of the East wall, appearing to recede into the earth (numbered 70E - May 25, 1968), then resuming at the end of the West wall, as the wall emerges from the earth (numbered 70W - continuing May 25, 1968) and ending with a date in 1975. Thus the war's beginning and end meet. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angle's open side and contained within the earth itself. The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. · There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall. · 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger. · 8,283 were just 19 years old. The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old. · 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old. · 5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old. · One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old. · 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . · 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam . · 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. · Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. · 54 soldiers on attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia . I wonder why so many from one school. · 8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded. · 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall. · Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons. · West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall. · The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest . And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home. · The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam . In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. · The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths. · The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred. For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors. Please pass this on to those who served during this time, and those who DO Care.
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This was sent to me and I just thought I would share it with you all........... .French view American Military by Jean-Marc Liotier American troops in Afghanistan through the eyes of a French OMLT infantryman The US often hears echoes of worldwide hostility against the application of its foreign policy, but seldom are they reached by the voices of people who experience first hand how close we are to the USA. In spite of contextual political differences and conflicting interests that generate friction, we do share the same fundamental values - and when push comes to shove that is what really counts. Through the eyes of that French OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams) infantryman you can see how strong the bond is on the ground. In contrast with the Americans, the French soldiers don't seem to write much online - or maybe the proportion is the same but we just have fewer people deployed. Whatever the reason, this is a rare and moving testimony which is why I decided to translate it into English, so that American people can catch a glimpse of the way European soldiers see them. Not much high philosophy here, just the first hand impressions of a soldier in contact - but that only makes it more authentic. Here is link to the original French if you want to double check. Article, http://omlt3-kdk3.over-blog.com/article-22935665.html_ ( http://omlt3-kdk3.over-blog.com/article-22935665.html ) and here is English translation : "We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing "ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events". Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company. They have a very strong American accent - the language they speak seems to be not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they themselves admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other. Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins at places like Waffle House and McDonalds - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans. Here we discover America as it is often depicted: their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that: the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the postage parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the heart of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of their whole people who provide them through the mail all the things that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location: books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. Every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions: the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention. And they are impressive warriors! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seems to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight focused in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump. And combat? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks: they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the enemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting: they just charge! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later - which cuts any pussyfooting short. (This is the main area where I'd like to comment. Anyone with a passing knowledge of Kipling knows the lines from Chant Pagan: 'If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white/remember its ruin to run from a fight. /So take open order, lie down, sit tight/And wait for supports like a soldier./ This, in fact, is the basic philosophy of both British and Continental soldiers. 'In the absence of orders, take a defensive position.' Indeed, virtually every army in the world. The American soldier and Marine, however, are imbued from early in their training with the ethos: In the Absence of Orders: Attack! Where other forces, for good or ill, will wait for precise orders and plans to respond to an attack or any other 'incident', the American force will simply go counting on firepower and SOP to carry the day. This is one of the great strengths of the American force in combat and it is something that even our closest allies, such as the Brits and Aussies (that latter being closer by the way) find repeatedly surprising. No wonder it surprises the hell out of our enemies!) We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe. To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America's army's deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owed this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers".
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This is the homecoming each of our soldiers should receive..... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr7DcJdbCS0]YouTube- Military Reunion[/ame] Thank you to the soldiers and their families for their sacrifice. Now you can explain to all your co-workers why you're blubbering.....
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If it don't work for me today...here is the link [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTs6a0ORdQU&feature=player_embedded]YouTube- The Warrior Song[/ame]
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Just got back from saying goodbye to our son, Jason. He has deployed to Afghanistan. It will take him several days to get there. He is piloting his own plane there. It was really hard saying goodbye, but on the other hand, we are so proud of him and what he does. We are proud of all our soldiers and their families and ask that you keep them all in your thoughts and prayers. Don
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"Thanks"giving to our troops I think this is an awesome idea, thought I would share! Have a Wonderful Day! Thanksgiving Xerox thanks our Military and so can You If you go to this web site, http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Thanks for taking to time to support our military!
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Tomorrow we get to ride in honor in of the fallen soldiers. It is a wonderful way to remember those that are willing to place themselves (and their families) between us and those that wish to do us harm. Thank you to all who have or are now serving in the armed forces. Anyone local that would like to join us but didn't know about this event, please come out. http://www.rideforthefallen.us Dave
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In memory of all of our countries soldiers who have given their all for whats right....yesterday and all the tomorrows. Bless you all.
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[/url]07/25/2008 CATHERINE BELL ADDRESSES MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AT PENTAGON EVENT PRINT ARTICLE / HOME 07/25/2008 CATHERINE BELL ADDRESSES MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AT PENTAGON EVENT li.opener { list-style: none; margin: 0 0 1em 0;} li{ margin: 0 0 0.5em 0; }The Motorcycle Safety Foundation hosted actress and rider Catherine Bell at the National Capital Region Joint Service Motorcycle Safety Event this past May at the Pentagon, where she spoke to representatives of all five branches of the combined Armed Forces. The conference focused on the theme that “Motorcycle safety/training is the number one non-combat safety concern across the Services.” We are pleased to reprint Ms. Bell’s comments below.It’s an honor and a pleasure to be here with you all today, and I’d like to thank the Joint Service Safety Council and the Department of the Army for the invitation to participate. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to support an initiative that is near and dear to two areas that have played such pivotal roles in my life … the United States Armed Forces and motorcycles. And motorcycle safety in particular. What some of you may know is that as an actress, I just can’t seem to get enough of military life. For 10 years I played U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie on the television series JAG as a practicing attorney in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. And this past year marked the first season for Lifetime’s new series, Army Wives, in which I play Denise Sherwood, the wife of a U.S. Army major. She’s had a pretty rough time of it with her teenage son. Both of these experiences and the feedback I’ve received from viewers who identify so strongly with the characters have given me an appreciation for the challenges that members of our Armed Forces face. And particularly the hardships endured by their families, like those of our soldiers currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The good news for me is that in season two of Army Wives, my character starts riding a motorcycle, a Suzuki SV650, to be specific. We have started shooting and … of course I’ll be doing all my own riding, and there’s a lot of it in the script. What you might not know is that I’ve pretty much been a tomboy all my life. I’ve always loved speed and been something of a risk-taker. And that translates to fast cars, personal watercraft, and of course, motorcycles. But, as much as I’m addicted to the thrill of riding, there’s a balance as to how much I’m willing to risk when I ride a motorcycle or when I’m out on a race track. I like to qualify sport bike riding as being “serious fun.” Because if you don’t take it seriously, you can get hurt in a flash, either by your own negligence or by not paying attention to car drivers and others on the road. There are conscious choices that I make on a daily basis. For some very good reasons. My husband and daughter being two of them. And another is my work. I have to take care of myself so I can do the work I love. It was Sigmund Freud who said, “Anatomy is destiny.” Now, maybe he wasn’t talking specifically about motorcycles, but certainly in my line of work, and definitely given the responsibilities our soldiers carry out, keeping our anatomy in prime condition is an absolute prerequisite to being able to perform our respective duties effectively. This means I have to make smart decisions. For myself, for my family, and for my work. And we must find ways to help our soldiers make smart decisions when they’re back home, and especially when they’re away from the control and confinement of on-base life. With May being Motorcycle Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to reinforce how important it is to encourage our troops to use the same smart decision-making skills they use in the field when they return home, and to celebrate in ways that don’t endanger the very life-saving efforts they’ve worked so hard to achieve. It’s certainly understandable that they’d want to cut loose. Who wouldn’t? They spend days, weeks, and months on end being rigidly disciplined, training themselves to peak performance, paying attention to the minutest of details, and working ceaseless with their units to form cohesive teams. Of course, they need a release, more than most. What soldier doesn’t like to think of Tom Cruise on his Kawasaki romancing Kelly McGillis in Top Gun? But our challenge – and we’re making progress – is to find ways to reinforce a mindset that balances risk with reward. And not using their motorcycle as the vehicle of choice to totally let loose, so that once they’re home safely, they’ll stay in one piece, their anatomy still primed for destiny, so to speak. That’s why all soldiers owe it to themselves to have fun, but to minimize the risk inherent with riding. And to play ‘big brother’ when necessary; setting the right example, and reminding fellow soldiers and riding buddies about basic motorcycle safety “musts:” Get trained and licensed Wear protective gear Don't drink and ride Ride with common sense within your own limits Continually upgrade skills with refresher courses Above all, we’ve got to instill the mindset that riding a motorcycle to take out pent-up frustrations after months of working under such controlled and stressful circumstances is a formula for disaster. To think from a more balanced perspective, riding with forethought and consideration – while still enjoying the inherent thrill of being a motorcyclist. The members of our combined Armed Forces – and it’s exciting to see all five branches represented here today – have already risked a tremendous amount on the line. It would be a shame, not to mention devastating to families, to waste all that talent, training and skills for a few moments of over-the-top craziness. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is taking some very positive steps, with the new Military SportBike RiderCourseSM and a booklet called Sport Bike Survival Guide by Nick Ienatsch with a forward by AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies. This booklet will remind you of the great things you heard about and learned to do in the Course. I can’t think of a better combination than Nick, Ben and the MSF to learn from. What’s the bottom line? What’s the message to our soldiers, especially our returning soldiers? Be as smart at home as you are on the job. Respect your private time and personal life as much as you do your working life. Find that balance between risk-taking and responsible riding. And by all means, get proper training if you’re celebrating your return home with a new bike and follow all of the motorcycle safety recommendations. We’re all thankful to our troops for protecting our country and allowing us the freedoms we enjoy. In return, we want them to stay safe and sound, and to continue to preserve their “anatomy as destiny” for many years to come. Thank you again for allowing me to be part of this important event. Have fun out there, and of course, be safe! Catherine Bell can be seen on the Lifetime network in the hit television show Army Wives Sundays at 10 PM ET/PT. Vistit www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/army-wives for more info. Photo by Fred W. Baker III, Department of Defense Since 1973, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has set internationally recognized standards that promote the safety of motorcyclists with rider education courses, operator licensing tests, and public information programs. The MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military, and others to offer training for all skill levels so riders can enjoy a lifetime of safe, responsible motorcycling. The MSF is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by BMW, BRP, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory, and Yamaha. For RiderCourse locations, call 800.446.9227 or visit www.msf-usa.org. :clap2: Rod
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in Iraq. Sorry I left a few parts unsold, but I'll be back in June if you still need something. Working to keep the US & the soldiers safe. I'll post a few photos and check in from time to time. Looks like I'll miss the rides this spring.
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http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home.html
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IMMEDIATE RELEASENo. 075-07 January 23, 2007 DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Jan 20 in Karma, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee. The soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. Killed were: Sgt. Sean P. Fennerty, 25, of Corvallis, Ore. Sgt. Phillip D. McNeill, 22, of Sunrise, Fla. Spc. Jeffrey D. Bisson, 22, of Vista, Calif. Spc. Toby R. Olsen, 28, of Manchester, N.H. For more information about these soldiers, contact the Fort Richardson public affairs office at (907) 384-1542 Our Throughts and Prayers go out to the family, friends and comrades of Spc. Toby R. Olsen and to the family and friends of all the soldiers who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. R.I.P. Toby your war is over.
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This is a good read - funny how it took someone in England to put it into words... Sunday Telegraph Article >From today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation Kevin Myers, The Sunday Telegraph LONDON - Until the deaths last week of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed by a U.S. warplane in Afghanistan, probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops were deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will now bury its dead, just as the rest of the world as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does. It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again. That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved. Yet its purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle. Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the "British." The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth-largest air force in the world. The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of ourse, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity. So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers. Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces. Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia. Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular on-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit. So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan? Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun. It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. Recently four more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well. Please pass the on or print it and give it to any of your friends or relatives who served in the Canadian Forces, it is a wonderful tribute to those who choose to serve their country and the world in our quiet Canadian way.
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