Hundreds of military vehicles to be erected as Afghan war monuments
WATCH:Global News has learned the Canadian government is about to unveil a memorial program to honour veterans of the war in Afghanistan, installing light armoured vehicles, or LAVs, at monuments across the country. As Jacques Bourbeau reports, it a tribute long overdue.
OTTAWA When Afghanistan veteran Jody Mitic thinks of the LAV III the Light Armoured Vehicle used to support Canadian troops he thinks of a tough, mobile and effective device.
The LAV III, which can hit speeds of up to 100 km and contains a 25 mm cannon, also doubled as a grocery store, kitchen and sleeping area for troops on the ground.
Very few vehicles or platforms on the battlefield can deliver the accuracy and the devastatiopatagonia capilene 1 reviewn of power that these thingspatagonia capilene 1 review2 carried, Miticsaid.
READ MORE:patagonia wheeled duffel review Invisible Wounds Crisis in the military
Now the LAV IIIs, having fulfilled their Afghan duty,patagonia down hoody review will take on a new role in Canada as monuments.
Global News has learned a charitable organization, supported by the federal government, is using up topatagonia mixed guide pants uk 250 replicas LAVs to remember the sacrifices of the Afghan mission.
They patagonia capilene 1 review0ll be displayed in communities across Canada to the Second World Wartanks and cannons that now appear near Royal Canadian Legion branches, cenotaphs, military bases and public parks.
The program is expected to be launched Wednesday at Ottawa s War Museum, spearheaded by the Canada Company, a charitable group that supports the Canadian Forces.
Called the Ldiscount patagonia jacketsAV IIpatagonia capilene 1 review3I Monument program, it aims to recogpatagonia better sweater 1nize the service of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan and will be the first update to Canadian military monuments in more than 50 years, according to a source with knowledge of the program.
government is committed to honouring the sacrifice and heroism of Canadian veterans, Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino wrote in an email to Global News.
The government of Canada supports and is working to facilitate this initiative that honours the sacrifice and service of Canadians who served in Afghanistan. a former snipepatagonia capilene 1 review1r who lost both his legs below the knee and was recently elected an Ottawa city councillor, says the plan will help young Canadians remember the decade long mission.
Typically what you see at the cenotaphs and displays are decommissioned tanks, decommissioned artillery pieces from the past, World War One, World War Two, Korea, he said.
We just really don t have anything from Afghanistan that s been decommissioned. If the funds are available and the will is there to build some replica LAVs, I think that s an awesome idea. Because it keeps the conflict in people s minds for the future.
It s better to do it now, I think, than in 25 years patagonia fleece sale new balancewhen kids are asking, What s Afghanistan?
NDP defence critic Jack Harris said he agrees with the program if legions or military bases want the monuments.
But he cautioned that some Afghan veterans may think it s too soon.
There are peopatagonia guide jacket 3xple suffering from PTSD, for example, because they were injured and some of their friends killed in these very equipment. Is this something that they repatagonia guide pants presserally need to be reminded of on a daily basis? Harris said.
It s very close to the time frame during which this happened. We re not talking about a Second World War artillery piece. Wpatagonia jacket full length whitee re talking about something that s relatively current in people s minds.
