Remember our troops

My nephew is serving on Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawa, which departed from her homeport of CFB Esquimalt Tuesday for a four-and-a-half-month-long deployment to the Asia-Pacific Region.

The deployment is part of the Canadian government’s commitment to operations in the region and as part of ongoing United Nations sanctions against North Korea.

Starting early October, the renewed Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) contribution to the multinational effort in the Asia-Pacific region will be a CP-140 Aurora, along with the crew and supporting personnel, operating from Japan.

HMCS Ottawa will join the international maritime monitoring mission periodically between late August and mid-November.

He is serving our country as did his grandfather and his great uncles. This day is a day to remember the men and women who serve our country and willingly put themselves in harm's way so that we can enjoy our freedom. Here is are the numbers of those who died in service to us. The important point to remember when reading statistics of war service is to appreciate the fact that every number represents a person.

These are men and women who grew up, had families and left loved ones behind.

One of the best ways to remember and support our vets is to wear a Poppy. By making a donation and wearing a Poppy, Canadians of all ages support the Legion’s mission to serve veterans and their dependents while also promoting Remembrance. The sale of wreaths and the Poppy Campaign make it possible for the Legion to operate a National Service Bureau which acts as an advocate for veterans and their dependents seeking compensation from the government for service-incurred disabilities. Every year, more than a million dollars of the money raised through the campaign is used for direct assistance for ex-service people and their dependents in financial distress. The funds are used to pay for food, accommodation, utilities, dental and optical services and hospital comforts.

It is also important to note that over the years many millions of dollars have been given to worthy charities or spent providing valuable services, such as Meals on Wheels, to seniors. The campaign’s expenses, meanwhile, remain low owing in large part to the national network of volunteers who distribute the Poppies.

The money collected is held in trust and cannot be spent on anything other than the purposes specifically authorized in the General By-laws of the Legion.

If you do nothing else today, buy a poppy and hold one minute of silence at 11:00 to remember our serving troops and our veterans who fought for our freedom and who continue to put themselves in harm's way for us.