A simple ceremony commemorates the 11th anniversary of end of Canada鈥檚 13-year mission in Afghanistan, much like the service retired Lt.-Col. Paul Paone attended on his final day in Kabul.
鈥淚t was typical Canadian low-key, no fanfare, no marching band ceremony,鈥� Paone told the Victoria News. They lowered the flag, handed it over to the ambassador and gathered for coffee, tea and a sticky bun before boarding a helicopter.
A March 12 event will serve a similar sentiment at the British Columbia Afghanistan Memorial at the corner of Courtney and Quadra streets in Victoria.
鈥淲e want to keep it as the same as we had, (a) quiet, respectful get together,鈥� Paone said.
Under the newly established BC Veterans Remembrance Association, representatives of the Canadian Forces, civilian and military police as well as veterans will gather to remember the 159 Canadian Armed Forces members and eight civilians killed during the mission. The ceremony will include the last post, two minutes of silence, the rouse and the Act of Remembrance.
Last year鈥檚 more grandiose event was the first, to remind residents of the 40,000-plus Canadians deployed to Afghanistan between October 2001 and March 2014 鈥� the nation鈥檚 largest and longest mission since the Second World War.
鈥淲e were so terrified that Canada鈥檚 longest war, 13 years, would be forgotten,鈥� Paone said. 鈥淲e do not want Afghanistan to be like Korea and become Canada鈥檚 second or third forgotten war. We want the sacrifice of the Canadian Forces and the civilians to be remembered.鈥�
This year鈥檚 theme is all about including community, with dignitaries reading the names alongside well-known members of the community, and two veterans who lost schoolmates in the conflict.
鈥淭he memorial is more than just there for the veterans, the silver cross recipient families and the persons that have passed. It鈥檚 a community monument,鈥� Paone said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about reading the names. If you say the name out loud they will never be forgotten.鈥�
Canadians witnessed a steady stream of military funerals over the 13 years as the remains of 167 Canadian sailors, soldiers, air crew and civilians returned home in flag-draped caskets.
鈥淭he sacrifice of military members in the defence of Canada continues, but it鈥檚 not even as it was in the Afghanistan conflict when people got engaged with the highway of heroes 鈥� we need to remember that this sacrifice continues regardless,鈥� said Gerald Pash, retired lieutenant commander.
More than 2,000 others were wounded or injured, and one-in-10 receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorders, with the experience complicit in the death of dozens more since, something Paone said they鈥檙e working with Veterans Affairs Canada to recognize.
鈥淭here are more people to be attributed to the Afghan war that have passed,鈥� he said.
Citizens routinely take part in Remembrance Day on Nov. 11 and National Peacekeepers Day on Aug. 9, Pash noted, adding 80 per cent of Canadians today were born after the Second World War 鈥� meaning today鈥檚 civilian relationship between those who served or are serving has waned.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no conversation over the back fence anymore,鈥� Pash said. 鈥淒uring the Afghanistan mission we had 40,000 people assigned to Afghanistan which was the largest contingent of Canadians since the Korean War.鈥�
The event to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the end of Canada鈥檚 mission in Afghanistan is March 12 at 6:45 p.m. at the B.C. Afghanistan Memorial at the corner of Courtney and Quadra streets.
Did you know:
There are eight tomes dedicated to the dead which are usually held in the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, currently under restoration. Those killed in the Afghanistan war are listed in the Service of Canada Book of Remembrance. That book lists the names of more than 1,900 members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have died while serving Canada since Oct. 1, 1947 鈥� the day after eligibility for entry in the Second World War Book of Remembrance closed 鈥� excluding those commemorated in the Korean War Book of Remembrance. It includes those who died in conflict, peacetime training exercises, deployments abroad or other military duty.
The In the Service of Canada Book of Remembrance was dedicated Nov. 11, 2005 and includes a second volume with names from 2015 onward.
