Gentlemen,
As you should have seen from the paper and SUN article shown below, 2005 is
the Year of The Veteran according to our government. I am on the Advisory
Board to the Minister of Veterans' Affairs and attended the official launch
yesterday. Quite an elegant show.
In a nutshell, the government will subsidize $1,000.00 for any veteran going
to Holland for the ceremonies 30 April to 10 May in Netherlands with main
event on 8th at Apeldoorn. I have been in contact with Walt Conrad who has
kindly agreed to put together a tour for the Regiment and I would expect
that we will have one regimental representative on the official veterans'
affairs group as we did for Italy.
The criteria are that the candidate be mobile, be accompanied by a
caregiver, have served with the Regiment through Holland at the end of the
war and not have been selected for such a free trip by veterans' affairs
before.
For all other veterans wishing to go,there will shortly be an announcement
of the subsidy on the VAC Website at <
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/>
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/
To all Dragoons, Happy Birthday on 21st, Merry Xmas and a healthy and happy
New Year!!!
Clive Addy
COR, The RCD
61 Drummond Street East
Perth, ON
K7H 1G3
(613)264-8038
Cell (613)878-2310
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 special year for vets
By KATHLEEN HARRIS, SUN OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA -- Canada kicked off a year-long tribute to war veterans yesterday
with a pledge to help them return to the Netherlands next spring to
celebrate the 60th anniversary of that country's liberation from German
occupation. Speaking to more than 100 Ottawa-area veterans gathered on
Parliament Hill, Veterans Affairs Minister Albina Guarnieri said marking
2005 Year of the Veteran will be a "national history lesson" and a chance to
renew Canada's commitment to remembrance.
"It's important that we don't let these memories fade, so we're doing
our
best to collect each and every one of them and we want to jealously guard
what is part of our Canadian heritage," she said.
Unveiling a three-minute video and special commemorative posters, Guarnieri
announced the feds will offer a $1,000 travel subsidy so veterans can travel
to the Netherlands.
More than 200,000 Canadian soldiers helped liberate the country 60 years
ago. More than 7,600 Canadians were killed.
Second World War veteran Bernard Pelletier believes there must be greater
awareness among youth if the sacrifices aren't to be forgotten.
"It's nice to do it," he said. "It will all help, but it's got to
be put
back in the schools."
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Ray Henault praised the federal government for
providing Canadians with an opportunity to pay a special tribute to veterans
in 2005.
"It's superb. I can only hand it to these folks who did what they did for
our country and for world peace and stability," he said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------