Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial

[Sythen]

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110712/trenton-ontario-afghanistan-soldiers-memorial-campaign-110712/

A new fundraising campaign seeks to raise $1.5 million for the construction of a memorial in Trenton, Ont., to honour the Canadians who died serving in Afghanistan over the past decade.

The planned Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial will be located near CFB Trenton, the air base where the remains of Canada's fallen have begun their repatriation journeys after they were flown home from Kandahar.

The project is being funded through public donations and the goal is to unveil the memorial next spring.

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A nice idea. I'll send what I can spare over, and thought people here might wanna know about it.

 

[OldSolduer]

A very worthwhile endeavor. Funding should not be an issue.....I would hope that all three levels of government would match donations.

 

[Good2Golf]

A very worthwhile endeavor. Funding should not be an issue.....I would hope that all three levels of government would match donations.

Agree fully!

It is unfortunate that there are some who chose to argue over where the monument should really be built.  It is an "Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial" and its planned location is quite appropriate, as all our fallen CF members, diplomat and journalist all commenced their final journey home on Canadian soil from this location.

In no way, does this keep any community or organization from appropriately acknowledging the sacrifice of service by fallen CF members from their respective region.  Nor should the Repatriation Memorial be considered a slight to any single region of Canada.  To bicker about the value or appropriateness of the memorial as planned is in poor taste and diverts from its focus as the gateway through which fallen Canadians returned from abroad.

Regards
G2G

 

[PuckChaser]

I've put this up on my Facebook page, and I encourage anyone with a Facebook or Twitter to do the same. If we get this viral, I'm sure we can get the donation goal in very short order, and it'd only take a $5 donation.

 

[OldSolduer]

I would hope that the two aid workers who were murdered in Afghanistan would be included, in addition to all our fallen.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I've put this up on my Facebook page, and I encourage anyone with a Facebook or Twitter to do the same. If we get this viral, I'm sure we can get the donation goal in very short order, and it'd only take a $5 donation.

Donated & tweeted - thanks for the idea.

 

[wildman0101]

Jim-concur re: aid worker's murder's.
To Whom concerned: Re: Memorial.
Count me in. Cheer's,
Scoty B

 

[PuckChaser]

Funds have more than doubled in a day. 

 

[Old Sweat]

Just donated.

 

[GAP]

went to donate by interac and received error Server Error in '/' Application.. will try later

 

[missionessential]

Note to Mods: This has has been cleared with Mike Bobbit prior to posting

Currently the City of Quinte West is in the process of raising funds to erect a memorial near CFB Trenton in order to pay respect to the CF members who have paid the Ultimate Sacrifice during the conflict in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial Fund is attempting to raise 1.5 million dollars to complete the project.

Please visit the link to visit the site
http://www.afghanistanmemorial.ca/campaign

My company Para Coy Paracord Products has embarked on a campaign to raise funds for the memorial.
I am selling paracord survival bracelets in order to raise money. They are made in tan paracord to signify service in Afghanistan. A black accent stripe is added to pay tribute to the CF members who have paid the Ultimate Sacrifice.

I am selling the bracelets for $12

$3 from the sale of each bracelet will be donated directly to the Memorial Fund.

Please visit my site for more information.
www.paracoy.weebly.com

Thank you for your support.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Bumped with the latest - dedication coming day before Remembrance Day:

It promises to be an emotional tribute to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in Afghanistan.

A memorial for soldiers killed in Afghanistan will be installed Saturday afternoon

Drain Brothers Construction, of Norwood, is the contractor.

When the Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial is officially unveiled Nov. 10, it's expected more than 1,000 people will fill Bain Park and watch as the granite monument bearing the names of 158 Canadian soldiers is revealed to the public.

The memorial is close to where repatriation ceremonies take place at the beginning of the fallen soldiers’ journey along the Highway of Heroes, from Trenton to Toronto.

About 175 family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan will be at the unveiling ....

Belleville Intelligencer, 26 Oct 12

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Memorial honours Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Canadian donors paid for tribute near CFB Trenton
CBC News Posted: Nov 10, 2012 6:37 PM ET Last Updated: Nov 10, 2012 6:25 PM ET

Families and veterans gathered Saturday in a park near CFB Trenton, Ont., for the unveiling of a memorial in honour of Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. (Natalie Kalata/CBC)

A memorial honouring Canadian troops killed in Afghanistan was unveiled Saturday in a quiet section of a park located near Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

The Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial — the silhouette of a soldier standing in front of a two large granite maple leaves —stands near the north shore of Ontario's Bay of Quinte.

One of the granite leaves is red, inscribed with the Canadian Armed Forces emblem and provincial shields; the other is black and etched with the names of the 158 fallen service members who have died in Afghanistan since 2001.

The $1.2-million project was entirely paid for by donations through the Give to Honour Those Who Gave campaign.

The Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial — the silhouette of a soldier standing in front of a two large granite maple leaves — stands near the north shore of the Bay of Quinte. (Natalie Kalata/CBC)

Kathy Bulger, whose son Cpl. Nick Bulger died in Afghanistan, said she couldn't wait to bring her grandchildren to the memorial, which is located near the starting point of the stretch of Hwy 401 known as the Highway of Heroes. It is travelled by funeral convoys heading to Toronto from CFB Trenton.

"[The memorial is] a place for me to come and reflect and find a little piece of tranquility and bring his babies here," Bulger said.

The day was largely organized by Capt. Wayne Johnston, a former repatriation officer who arranged many of the ceremonies when soldiers' remains were brought back from Afghanistan.

"I really hope it brings some closure, but how do you ever get closure to losing. For a spouse losing her best friend, I don't know it can be done," he said.

'"Unless we do things like this, where we celebrate in a public forum, you know a lot of people are out of the loop.'
— Mike Blais, veteran

The unveiling ceremony on the eve of Remembrance Day included a parade, a fly past, a wreath-laying ceremony and speeches by Veteran Affairs Minister Steven Blaney and other dignitaries.

"This is the people of Canada that are giving a big hug to the family of the fallen today," Blaney said.

Veteran Mike Blais said the new memorial was a "damn good thing and I'm proud of Canada today."

"Unless we do things like this, where we celebrate in a public forum, you know a lot of people are out of the loop," he told CBC News.