Huron Expositor, 2016-10-05, Page 9Huron County Afghan
war monument unveiled
Darryl Coote
War monuments bring
home and make real the sto-
ries of those who fought
overseas in Canada's name,
said Elizabeth Dowdeswell,
the lieutenant governor of
Ontario, during the Oct. 1
dedication ceremony for a
monument honouring
Canadian soldiers who
fought in Afghanistan.
She told the hundreds of
people who had assembled
despite the threat of rain Sat-
urday afternoon that the mil-
itary vehicle placed upon a
cairn of boulders by the
museum is more than a sym-
bol — it's a piece of history.
"Most of us have seen the
light armed vehicles on the
news being driven by our sol-
diers, but the presence of this
one here on these peaceful
grounds is quite powerful. It
brings the stories of our troops
back home to Ontario and to
Huron County," she said.
Made from the hull of a
light armoured vehicle
(LAV) that had seen combat
in Afghanistan during the
12 -year war and atop a cairn
of stone from the Victoria St.
United Church that was
destroyed during the 2011
tornado, she said the monu-
ment will teach future gen-
erations not only that Huron
County supports its military,
but of the sacrifices the sol-
diers made in their name.
"People will visit this
museum and this monu-
ment for generations to
come. Particularly young
people such as the scouts,
the guides and the cadets
gathered here today. All of
them will learn how our sol-
diers fought by seeing their
actual equipment. They will
also learn of the sacrifices
made by our troops, some of
them not much older than
themselves. Sacrifices like
those of the 162 soldiers who
lost their lives in Afghani-
stan," she said.
Canada sent 40,000 soldiers
to Afghanistan, with the first
group leaving after the terror-
ist attack in New York on Sept.
11, 2001. The war would cost
the lives of 162 Canadians, 158
of them members of the
Canadian Armed Forces.
Following almost $22 -bil-
lion spent fighting the Tali-
ban and Al Qaeda, the
Afghanistan mission, the
nation's longest military
engagement in its history,
finally came to a close when
Canada's last troops returned
home in March of 2014.
However, four young men --
Cpl. Robert Mitchell of Owen
Sound, Cpl. Matthew Dinning
of Wingham, Cpl. Brent Poland
of Lambton and Trooper Mark
Andrew Wilson of London --
would die in combat
Their families attended
the ceremony, and Dow-
deswell said she wants to
show her support for all mili-
tary families. She recalled a
maxim once told to her that
while it is the children who
sign up to fight, the families
do not but they do serve and
do so with great distinction.
"With this monument Huron
County reminds all of us to
cherish the men and women of
our armed forces who stand on
guard for the freedom and
peace that we are privileged
and, in fact, we take for granted
today here in this country. As
the representative of the maj-
esty the Queen, I express my
hope that this community finds
peace and strength through this
majestic memorial"
She then presented each
of the four silver cross fami-
lies a piece of marble from
the Canadian cenotaph that
stood in the Canadian Task
Force Headquarters in Kan-
dahar Afghanistan.
The pedestal displaying a
plaque before the monument
also contains marble from the
cenotaph that was erected in
Afghanistan in 2006 and
repatriated to Canada in 2011.
This monument is part of
the largest program of its
100 to iCii 11.1 ii] Im1!Ii}1ltil mis] 11
Wednesday, October 5, 2016 • Huron Expositor 9
The Huron County Afghanistan Community Monument on the
night of Oct. 1.
A member of the Canadian Armed forces and a Canadian Mountie
Police officer salute during the signing of the national anthem.
Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the lieutenant governor of Ontario, centre,
stands with family members of the four men from the region who
lost their lives fighting in Afghanistan.
kind in Canada's history,
said retired Maj -Gen. David
Fraser, who was the regional
commander for NATO's
south mission in Afghani-
stan and on the selection
committee for the monu-
ment program.
He said the story of Cana-
da's involvement in Afghani-
stan is a "great Canadian
story" that needs to be told.
The LAV he said, is not sim-
ply a monument or even a
vehicle soldiers drove, but it
represents Canada's industrial
capability to produce "the
best vehicle in the world."
"[It also] represents Cana-
dian communities coming
together supporting our men
and women throughout the
time we were in Afghani-
stan," the veteran said.
Co-chair of the Huron
County Afghanistan Com-
munity Monument Paul
Thorne thanked Dowdeswell
for attending who in doing
so made the event the more
memorable for it.
He also thanked all those
who donated to the project
that cost around $50,000 for
the demilitarization of the
LAV and installation.
He continued that while the
ceremony was to dedicate the
monument, the event is truly
about the veterans.
"It is not about the monu-
ment; it is about our veter-
ans we ask as a nation to rep-
resent us in our collective
effort to stand the tide of ter-
rorism in this far off land that
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Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell stands
beside the dedication plaque of the Huron County Afghanistan
war monument after its unveiling.
most of us know very little
about," he said.
He said the soldiers repre-
sented the country with hon-
our, professionalism and
compassion, and while some
question Canada's involve-
ment in the war, the monu-
ment will stand in answer.
"This monument will service
to validate your contribution to
our collective freedom and that
your contribution was right and
just; he said.
He then told the silver cross
families who had lost loved
ones in the war that words
cannot express the gratitude of
Huron County for their sacrifice
and may this monument be a
place of remembrance and
quiet contemplation for them.
The section of Trafalgar St.
alongside the museum was
closed for the event as a
large parade that preceded
the ceremony with over a
hundred men and women of
the armed forces, Mountie
Police, cadets, local Legions
and local pipe bands.
And who stood at atten-
tion throughout the
dedication.
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