LOCAL NEWS: WARM, DRY SUMMER ▼ A10
Times Day honors Afghan vets
Thursday, May 15, 2014 ▼ Volume 50 No. 20 ▼ www.clearwatertimes.com ▼ $1.35 Includes GST
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CLEARWATER CARNAGE: Lots of action at the skateboard park. See page A11 inside.
Keith McNeill Despite short notice, more than a dozen people attended an event held Friday at Clearwater Legion Hall as part of the National Day of Honor for Afghanistan veterans. “This is close to my heart and to my family's heart,” said Clearwater Mayor John Harwood, noting that his brother-in-law had served two terms in Afghanistan. “This was a noble cause war,” Harwood said. “Canada stood up for young women who desired an opportunity for an education.” “We need to stand up for the young people who served. They sometimes need encouragement to seek help,” he said. “They richly deserve all the support we can give them.” The mayor's comments were echoed by Legion representative Joe Short. A total of 40,000 Canadians served during Canada's 12 years in Afghanistan, Short said. Of these, 800 were wounded and 158 killed. Several thousand Canadian families now have to deal with veterans who were wounded and/or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “The war has not ended for those people,” Short said. “The atrocities over there were so horrible, they see things we do no see. “They shut their families out and turn to alcohol to ease the pain. When that does not work, they turn to drugs. When that does not
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MP McLeod’s statement on The National Day of Honor Submitted
Clearwater Mayor John Harwood gives a talk during a National Day of Honor for Afghanistan veterans ceremony held on Friday in the Legion Hall. Behind him is Legion representative Joe Short. Photo by Keith McNeill
work, they die by their own hands,” the Legion representative said. There needs to be more counselling available for veterans, their spouses and their
families, Short said, and it needs to be easily available. He noted that veterans living in Clearwater need to travel to Kelowna or Penticton to see the nearest
counsellor. “Some of these people came back physically healthy, but mentally they died in Afghanistan,” he said. “It's just a matter of time.”
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OTTAWA – Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops-ThompsonCariboo, issued the following statement on Friday to mark the end of our country’s military mission in Afghanistan. “On this our National Day of Honor, His Excellency, the Right Honorable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, issued a proclamation designating this day as an opportunity to celebrate the strength and resolve of our men and women in uniform, their families and the many communities they call home. It also recognizes the contributions of our Canadian law enforcement and employees of the Public Service of Canada who served in Afghanistan. “It is an occasion to pay tribute to the fallen, the sacrifices of the wounded and celebrate the strength of our country’s remarkable military families. Today we commemorate the end of a generational mission that affected almost every community in Canada. In our own riding many played a crucial role including the Rocky Mountain Rangers and members of the Canadian Forces including Master Corporal Erin Doyle of Kamloops who lost his life in Afghanistan in 2008. These heroes deserve our unwavering support and everlasting respect. “Their accomplishments during the 12 year mission were profound: terrorist sanctuaries were destroyed, critical infrastructure was constructed, the Afghan security forces were trained to defend their country, schools were built to allow more children access to education and most significantly over 2.5 million girls are now attending school where in 2001 none had that option. Those who served this mission demonstrated time and again the ingenuity and determination that define our nation. We will be forever proud and grateful.”
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