Unfortunately I had a senior moment with my camera, and as such have no photos of Yesterdays Red Rally.( My apologies) Charlene and her team had a grand turnout despite absolutely dreadful weather. Tyler Coady a PEI Veteran of the Afghan conflict, was awared the first quilt of valour from the ladies quilting group.
Doctor Goddard gave a wonderful talk on his daughter Capt Nichola Goddard with her thoughts and stories of her life prior to that dreadful day in Afghanistan.
Captain George Williams read a letter from our MND Peter MacKay saying how sorry he was being unable to attend, but he congratulated PEI on their Red Rallies and Tyler Coady on his honour receiving the quilt of Valour. He also mentioned the Invisible Army
His Royal Highness Prince Charles also mentioned in his speech in London Ontario the Invisible Army . He spoke of the worry, the stress and all things associated with the absence of a family member on deployment. Well done your Highness people must be made aware of the stress on families at home.
Prince Charles said Thursday the pride that Canadians have for members of their military has deeply moved him and his wife Camilla.
Charles presented new colours to two regiments at a military ceremony in Toronto after touring sites in Hamilton and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., earlier in the day.
Those two regiments the Toronto Scottish Regiment and the Royal Regiment of Canada have seen 43 soldiers serve in Afghanistan.
As the father of two soldiers and colonel-in-chief of 22 regiments, including seven Canadian ones, Charles said he has some understanding of what Canadian military families go through.
I can so well appreciate the appalling emotional strain and anxiety which permeate every waking minute while a loved one is placed in harm's way, Charles said.
Personally I would like to thank CTV News for their fine coverage of the Red Rally. It find odd that a Halifax TV Station would cover our event. While Compass the local newscast with 90 minutes of airtime, repeating each story 3 times. Does not have the courtesy to cover an Island event. On behalf of our military. Shame on the CBC Compass Group.
Thank you CTV for your wonderful services to the military and their families. Or as the military says Bravo Zulu CTV
I close this day's blog with a letter I received from Sgt (ret) Debbie Reid a nice story.
A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . And colleges Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms.. Cothren, where're our desks?' She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.' They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.' 'No,' she said. 'Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.' And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room. The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.' At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.. Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.' By the way, this is a true story.
Remember Everyone Deployed
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
