Minister's Speech

Statement by Hon. Bill Graham Minister of National Defence on the occasion of Veterans' Week 2005

November 2, 2005

House of Commons, Ottawa Ontario

NOTE:  The following transcript is presented in the language(s) in which it occurred. There is no translation available.  We are providing the transcript for your information.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As Canadians, we take pride in being a forward-looking nation; a country that strives always to overcome the challenges of today so that we might make a better tomorrow for all.

We are a nation that looks ahead, but in a few short days, we will be a nation united in recalling the past to honour those who were there when we needed them most.

We will look back this Veterans' Week, as we do each year at this time, and we will feel sadness. We will feel gratitude. We will feel pride. We will feel humbled.

But most of all, we will feel the very spirit of a nation, and the spirit of nation-builders.

Nation-builders, Mr. Speaker, who shaped a country from the deadly mire of Flanders and the freezing floodwaters of the Netherlands; from the flying steel of Dieppe and the blood-soaked sand of Juno beach; from the treacherous rock of Sicily, and the icy slopes of Korea.

Nation-builders whose tireless service in the name of freedom and humanity – in the name of Canada – continues today in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, in Darfur and elsewhere.

Monsieur le Président, une semaine, ça semble très peu. Et j'oserais dire que les Canadiens sont du même avis.

Force est effectivement de constater qu'en cette Année de l'ancien combattant, les Canadiens ont témoigné avec enthousiasme leur engagement envers les anciens combattants.

Des dizaines de milliers de Canadiens, partout au pays, ont participé à des centaines et des centaines d'activités, grandes et petites, tantôt sobres tantôt festives, tandis que notre nation rendait un hommage spécial en cette année spéciale.

I have had the privilege to attend many such events as have no doubt other members of the House. The member for McLeod and I attended one such event in Nanton Alberta were some 5000 people gathered to mark the building of a monument to commemorate the efforts and sacrifice of the members of Canada's Bomber Command during World War II. Ten thousand six hundred and forty-three Canadians died in that great enterprise that led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny. And thousands of Canadians watched on the streets of Vancouver and on television as we buried Smoky Smith a beloved member of the armed forces who was our last surviving Victoria Cross recipient. In celebrating Smokey's life, we also remembered that many Canadians have been recognized for their service and bravery over the years.

Few Canadians know that one of the earliest recipients of the Victoria Cross was Alexander Dunn who attended Upper Canada College in Toronto and who was awarded one of the original thirteen crosses by Queen Victoria for service in the Crimea at the charge of the Light Brigade. The golden thread of service and heroism linking Alexander Dunn to Smokey remains as an inspiration to the young men and women of the Canadian Forces who serve the cause of peace, stability and freedom around the world.

So as we commemorate the 60 th anniversary of the end of the Second World War this year, we are reminded once again of the depth of the sacrifice and the breadth of the achievement of those who set aside their own hopes and dreams to serve a higher purpose.

We were touched by the outpouring of gratitude from the people of the Netherlands, young and old, who gathered in the hundreds-of-thousands to thank and honour the Canadian Veterans who played such a pivotal role in the history of that nation. They came by the thousands too in Canada as we marked VE-Day with the opening of Canada's spectacular new War Museum.

We remembered those who served until the very last days of the Second World War in the Far East, many who were prisoners of war for almost four years of their young lives.

We remember this week especially the sacrifice of Canada's first peoples, as Aboriginal Veterans, youth and Spiritual Elders complete a pilgrimage to Europe – a Spiritual Journey to call home the spirits of the hundreds of warriors who fell on those far-off battlefields.

Cette année, nous avons célébré les réalisations de tous nos anciens combattants. Nous les avons remerciés du sacrifice qu'ils ont consenti et nous avons rappelé leur souvenir.

Du 5 au 11 novembre, nous célébrons la Semaine des anciens combattants et nous rappelons l'importance de Rendre hommage aux anciens combattants en sensibilisant les jeunes à ce qu'ils ont accompli.

Monsieur le Président, il nous faut nourrir la flamme de l'esprit du Souvenir et de gratitude qui a brûlé tout au long de cette Année de l'ancien combattant.

Car nous avons une dette éternelle envers nos anciens combattants.

Monsieur le Président, l'Année de l'ancien combattant et la Semaine des anciens combattants nous offrent l'occasion de renouveler notre engagement envers les anciens combattants du Canada en nous permettant de veiller à ce que la flamme du Souvenir brûle pour l'éternité.

Just as we will pass this nation we so cherish to our children, let us also pass to them an understanding that this precious legacy comes not from us.

Not from us, Mr. Speaker, for we are but trustees; trustees of a nation forged in the courage of those who served, and shaped by the sacrifice of those who fell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.