U.S. Forces Afghanistan
Story by Erika Stetson
KABUL, Afghanistan – Dozens of U.S., Canadian and Greek troops gathered for a Canadian-led Remembrance Day ceremony at the New Kabul Compound Nov. 11.
The ceremony is an international observance that honors and remembers fallen military members, similar to Veterans Day in the U.S., which falls on the same date.
“This is a solemn day,” said Canadian navy Capt. Rebecca Patterson, of Ottawa, Ontario, the compound’s senior Canadian health services adviser. “It’s a true act of remembrance.”
About 15 Canadians, 20 Americans and a dozen Greek troops participated. They included, along with Patterson; Army Maj. Gen. William Rapp, Deputy Commander-Support for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan; and the organization’s top enlisted official, Command Sgt. Maj. Ronnie Curry.
The ceremony included a minute of silence, a reading from the poem “In Flanders Field,” a wreath laying, and the playing of the Canadian national anthem and the Royal Anthem.
“I lost a soldier in Afghanistan in 2007,” said Warrant Officer Terry Auld, of Courtenny, British Columbia, acting sergeant major for the Canadian Health Services Advisory Team, after the ceremony. “So it’s very personal, as it is for all of us. We’ve all lost someone we know.”
He noted that the ceremony is marked in communities and on installations throughout Canada and on all bases where Canadian troops are located overseas.
Patterson called the event a way to link the sacrifices of the past with present missions and future goals.
“We’re willing to sacrifice for freedom because it’s that important,” she said.
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