Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets team members of the Soldier On Afghanistan Relay in Ottawa: In the lead up to the National Day of Honour, Prime Minister Stephen Harper today hosted a reception for members of the Soldier on Afghanistan Relay to pay tribute to the sacrifice, bravery and dedication that they and all Canadian Armed Forces members had shown in Afghanistan. The relay began on May 4 in Trenton, Ontario – the location where fallen Canadians were repatriated and began their journey home along the Highway of Heroes. The Soldier On Afghanistan Relay serves to thank Canadians for their support, honour the sacrifices of our great nation, and raise awareness of Soldier On programs. The relay team is composed of 18 ill and injured Afghanistan Veterans and one civilian. Relay participants have been running, walking and wheeling the last Canadian flag to have flown at the International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, through several communities between Trenton and Ottawa. The relay will end with the Canadian flag being passed to Major General Dean J. Milner – the last Task Force Commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan – during the National Day of Honour parade in Ottawa on May 9. The flag will then be presented to General Thomas J. Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, and to Prime Minister Harper, who will accept the flag on behalf of Canadians. The National Day of Honour is being commemorated through a series of events across Canada. In the National Capital Region, the National Ceremony will begin with a parade that will travel from the Canadian War Museum to Parliament Hill. This will be followed by two minutes of silence, a two-part fly-by salute and a public viewing of the Afghanistan Memorial Vigil in the Hall of Honour in the Centre Block on Parliament Hill. Find out more here: app.forces.gc.ca/ndoh-jndc/relay.html
Posted on: Thu, 08 May 2014 23:09:49 +0000
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