Draft dodgers get memorial

[Acorn]

3. Takes more than feet. Consider how many who went to Canada knowing that they could lose their families. They avoided jail in the US, but were still branded as criminal 'till Carter's pardon. Even after the pardon many are still despised, ironically much as Vietnam veterans were when they returned late in the war.

I don't think a memorial is justified though. In fact I look at it as another typically Canadian nose-thumbing at the US. Of course, I also don't think it is our business building memorials to Canadians who fought in Vietnam, or other foreign wars that Canada's government chose to avoid - Spanish Civil War for example.

Calling those who made their statements by fleeing to Canada cowards is overly simplistic.

Acorn

 

[ackland]

3. Takes more than feet. Consider how many who went to Canada knowing that they could lose their families. They avoided jail in the US, but were still branded as criminal 'till Carter's pardon. Even after the pardon many are still despised, ironically much as Vietnam veterans were when they returned late in the war.

I don't think a memorial is justified though. In fact I look at it as another typically Canadian nose-thumbing at the US. Of course, I also don't think it is our business building memorials to Canadians who fought in Vietnam, or other foreign wars that Canada's government chose to avoid - Spanish Civil War for example.

Calling those who made their statements by fleeing to Canada cowards is overly simplistic.

Acorn

What if Nelson Mandela had decided to fight rascism in South Africa by runnig away and hiding in comfort with his drugs and such. Wouldn't have been quit e the same statement would it. So why give respect to people who protested the war by hiding and taking no real risk of there own.
loose their families? why there families didn't have phones couldn't travel. I'm sure most stayed in touch.

 

[sdimock]

Greatings all,

Here is the latest from   http://www.kbsradio.ca/shownews.asp?ID=93362

"War resistors monument plan scrapped.

THE MAYOR OF NELSON SAYS THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE DRAFT DODGERS MONUMENT HAVE RECONSIDERED.

DAVE ELLIOT SAYS HE HAS CONVINCED THEM THE STATUE IS DIVIDING THE COMMUNITY.

BUT ELLIOTT IS UPSET WITH DOUG JAY AND IAN MASON FOR PLANS TO HAVE THE CITY OFFICIALLY STATE IT'S NEUTRALITY ON THE PROJECT

(Councillor Jay and Councillor Mason are trying to enflame this issue only for political reasons. This is a minor issue in the scheme of world events.)

ELLIOT SPOKE WITH THE PROJECT PROPONENTS MONDAY."

Hopefully this idea will quickly fade from peoples minds.

Chimo

 

[sdimock]

Alas, a speedy death to this idea is not to be.

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_nelson20040928

May they never find a place that wants to take it.

 

[pappy]

A Draft Dodgers Memorial?  I hope the Canadians have more sense then that.  Pretty sad day to say the least....

Lets all remember that John Kerry has his own Memorial (be it just part of a larger one for the Vietnamese) in Vietnam
that celibrates not his swift boat days , short as they where,
but for his part in the Anti-War movement. 

Maybe he will be getting the French, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong to "hlep in Iraq and Afganistan"

Lets hope for the US and world Kerry Loses.

If he does get elected lets hope his presidency lasts as long as the first JFK, opps did I say that outloud? just kidding John-boy.

Can't we just get two new canidates and start over?

;D

 

[logau]

As a dual Citizen USA/Cdn who grew up in the Nelson*Creston*Trail*Rossland area - they should rest assured that   a pickup truck from Colville Washington with a nice trailer hitch and tow cable, will probably come up and see the statue when it is unveiled - and then promptly drag it back across the border........ :

Here's 20,000 American Troops - my grandfather among them - who never hung back.

www.donlowconcrete.com/Engineers​

 

[foerestedwarrior]

I also grew up in Nelson, and you have to realise that 90% of the population is all hippies and anti war activists, the rest are all ski bums. So a bunch of "artisits" taht want to do a memorial like this, is feasable cus they think that "make love not war" works on a wordl stage, and tehy dont realise that th rest of the world fights, regardless if we have an army or not. I think this is junk, and if made, it should be promptly destroyed, it is an insult to the memory of the hundreds of thousands of people, Canadian and American, the lost their life in the war.

 

[dmsdbo]

A combat infantry battalion had four rifle companies, each with 120 men.  These took the brunt of the casualties.  Your 2,463 men would have completely filled 20 rifle companies with two platoons left over.  An infantry division only fielded 36 rifle companies, so you're talking potentially of the fighting strength of half a division.

Sorry for the late reply but...

This is absolutely a statement that needs to be played up more often.  The NRMA conscripts arrived at a time late in the war in NW Europe, but many Canadians forget that the fighting from Feb-April 45 was remarkably harsh for the infantry and armor.  The Virtual War Memorial attests to this.  The 2,463 NRMA who entered combat as combat replacements were desperately needed, especially by the units arriving from Italy, which had less access to replacements.  Most of the these men would have seen some action and some would have experienced quite a bit.  Don't forget - the Cape Breton Highlanders had 24 killed almost immediately before the war ended in house-to-house fighting on a single day.  There were likely many NRMA men in action there.  Not to mention the thousands of others that were sent to the RCEME, RCA, RCASC or other branches that were short of personnel.  Although some NRMA acted badly in late 1944 in Canada, by all accounts most aquitted themselves well when sent into NW Europe, and were judged to be better reinforcements that those stripped from excess rear area personnel in Nov-Dec/44 before NRMA men began arriving from Canada via the UK.

The NRMA contribution to the hard fighting of the last three months of the war should not be overlooked as an essential part of the unified Canadian 1st Army.  A book on their experiences in the infanrty, armour and artillery would be tremendous.

 

[Sig_Des]

a draft-dodger monument....next we'll erect a monument to all those who refuse to pay taxes...

I could understand if they levied for a display in the CWM, as the "Draft-dodger exodus" is a part of history, but, a monument to commemorate them?

Here's hoping that this idea is shot down anytime it's suggested

 

[Fishbone Jones]

This thread started almost a year ago. IIRC, the flak caused by the whole fiasco, put the kibosh on the monument. It never got built. Anyone have a factual update?

 

[scm77]

I do!

B.C. city rejects draft-dodger monument
Last Updated Wed, 29 Sep 2004 16:36:36 EDT
CBC News

NELSON, B.C. - Municipal politicians in Nelson, B.C., have decided that a controversial monument to American draft dodgers will not go up in their city.

At a special meeting on Wednesday, city council decided there would be no public money or public land for a monument unless it had broad public support in the community.
The proposed monument.

    * CBC ARCHIVES: Draft dodgers

A statement released by the city says the planned monument to war resisters doesn't meet that criteria. It also says such a monument would be a "misuse of public funds."

A private Nelson-based group called Our Way Home announced plans three weeks ago to build the monument somewhere in the city.

The planned statue depicts a Canadian reaching out to help two U.S. draft dodgers. It was to be unveiled during a July 2006 two-day festival in honour of U.S. conscientious objectors.

But the proposal has drawn strong opposition from some local residents and many Americans, especially veterans' groups.

A spokesperson for Our Way Home now says the monument will only be built in a community happy to have it, and that will not be Nelson.

As many as 125,000 young Americans fled to Canada in the 1960s and '70s to avoid fighting in the Vietnam War. Many settled in the Nelson area.

    * FROM SEPT. 28, 2004: B.C. draft-dodger monument in limbo

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/09/29/nonelsonstatue_040929.html

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Thanks scm77

So endeth this one.