For those who have served and fallen – both during their service or after retirement – take a moment to remember their sacrifice.

In Remembrance of All Who Have Served to Protect Our Freedom

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast.
He loved to sit around the Legion telling stories of the past.
Of battles he had fought and the deeds that he had done.
In his exploits with his buddies they were heroes every one.
And though sometimes to his neighbors his tales became a joke,
all his Legion buddies listened, for they knew of what he spoke.
Now we’ll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away.
Now the world’s a little poorer; a common soldier died today.
He’ll not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife;
for he lived an uneventful, quiet, ordinary life.
He held a job and raised a family, calmly going his own way.
The world little notes his passing. A common soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state.
Thousands mourn their passing and proclaim that they were great.
One less common soldier goes unnoticed and unsung;
the schools will all stay open and the church bells won’t be rung.
Now – is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
by a person who breaks promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow, who in times of war and strife
goes off to serve his country and offer up his life?
It’s so easy to forget them for it was so long ago
that the “Old Bills” of our country went to battle – but we know –
That it was not the politicians, with their promises and ploys,
who won for us the freedom that our country now enjoys.
He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin;
but, his presence should remind us that we might need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier’s part
is to clean up all the messes that politicians love to start.
If we will not pay him honor while he’s away to hear the praise,
then at least let’s give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps a simple notice in the paper that would say:
Our country is in mourning; a common soldier died today.

Author Unknown

I like to think I’m a pretty open minded and forgiving person.

Ok, you can stop laughing now.  I said I like to think that I am.  We all know that our internal views of ourselves aren’t always the most accurate.

That said I opened the paper this morning and saw this article: Poppy Funds Pilfered.  While Mr. Torrie thinks that this type of theft is occurring due to ‘lack of education”, I’m more inclined to believe that it occurs because people are so self-centred and in continual search of immediate gratification that they can’t even be bothered to attempt to understand the concept that there are those far more worthy and in need for whom those proceeds were originally intended.

I was disgusted last year when similar occurances happened.  I am equally mortified this year. 

Something has to start changing in society.  I’m really not liking the road we’re walking down now…

Crossposted on my blog at Dust My Broom

Technorati Tags: vet, edmonton, remembrance day, poppy

According to the news (here & here), the housing crunch in Edmonton isn’t just hitting civilians. Military families, many who originally lived off-base because housing was cheaper in the city and surrounding areas than it was in Edmonton Garrison, are finding themselves facing the same housing issues as everyone else in the area. Rents are skyrocketing and available houses are few and far between.

While military housing hasn’t been free for as long as we’ve been associated with the CF, I remember a time when it was partially subsidized (ending in the mid-to-late 90’s) and made financial sense for many military families to live on base as opposed to in cities and towns located near by.

Years ago on many Canadian Forces Bases, single military members could live in the shacks (barracks) for an indefinite period of time. Married couples without children could also find homes available to them. The hubby and I were able to live in Q’s in Borden and Winnipeg. Sure, we had to wait 10 months for an open Q when we moved to Winnipeg, but at least we qualified.

When we moved to Edmonton, we were told that no houses were available to us at Lancaster Park because we didn’t have children. Oddly enough, they had quite a few empty houses in the area at the time, we just weren’t allowed to live in one. We did manage to qualify to live in a run down, sewage spewing (don’t ask, it’s a gross story) mess of a row house in Griesbach.

Military housing is infamous for being sub-par. I learned a few things very quickly in my tenure in Q’s:

1. Many civilians think you live in the house for free and don’t pay rent.
2. Civilians who know military members pay rent don’t often realize that it’s no longer subsidized and that rents are based on the average rental rate for the area the base is located in. You may pay 50-100$ less for a base house than any other house in the area, but it’s hardly a bargain.
3. Military families who live in Q’s aren’t protected by provincial rentalsman offices and can’t withhold rent if there’s a problem with the house you’re living in. Rent comes directly off the military member’s paycheque. Sure, you can complain to the ombudsman or the CFHA, but you better ensure you don’t become an administrative burden or you could find your career adversely effected.
4. Having a hornet’s nest in the walls of the house, waiting 3 weeks for a working bathroom (when there’s only one in the house), 4 months for a hole in the roof to be fixed, or 4 days in the dead of Winnipeg winter for a back door to be put on your house won’t get you a discount on your rent or a move to a different Q. Don’t let the CFHA mission and vision statements fool you – the reality we’ve experienced over the past decade is very different.
5. Civilians working for DND have qualified for Q’s, while military members sit on waiting lists hoping for a place to live.

We learned very quickly upon arrival in Edmonton that if you don’t have children, you better find somewhere else to live. Luckily for us, we bought out house a few months before the housing market went through the roof. Our mortgage is less than what we were previously paying in rent. Sure, I may have had a busted sump in my basement last week but within 48 hours my water issues have been resolved, my basement is dry, and I’m not spending days sitting on hold with CFHA begging for assistance.

My heart goes out to military familes, seniors and low-income families who are facing the current housing shortage and crazy rent increases. Edmonton is a wonderful city to live in, but it’s quickly being priced out of reach of many who currently live here.

Technorati Tags: Canadian Forces, Housing, Edmonton, CFHA, PMQ

Thane Burnett, a writer with the Sun Media chain, has been working on an interesting project of late. His articles focus on the early years of many of the soldiers who have died as part of the NATO operation in Afghanistan. In conjunction with family members, he had gathered photos and memories to share with a nation – one that often forgets it’s soldiers until it’s politically convenient to send them off on yet another peacekeeping tour.

If you have a few moments today, you may enjoy the following:

• Article: Return to Innocence – Thane Burnett
• Video: Return to Innocence – Thane Burnett
• Article: When they were young – Thane Burnett
• Link: Return to Innocence Project – Sun Media

Technorati Tags: Thane Burnett, Canadian, Canoe, Sun, soldiers