From CBC News
Vandals damage Fredericton cenotaph
Members of Fredericton's Royal Canadian Legion are asking vandals who destroyed part of the city's cenotaph to turn themselves in as the organization prepares for Remembrance Day.
Jean-Guy Perrault, the president of Branch 4 of the Royal Canadian Legion, arrived at the cenotaph on Monday morning to decide where to place the crosses for Wednesday's Remembrance Day ceremony. That's when he noticed that the cenotaph had been heavily damaged in places.
"I almost fell on my knees. It hurt. Like I said … how can people sleep at night who did that — for the poor soldiers who fought for our country, for what we have that is so beautiful," Perrault said.
The cenotaph is the site of the main Remembrance Day event in the provincial capital. A three-metre-high granite cross atop the monument was toppled to the ground and smashed into pieces.
David Smith, who worked with the Royal Canadian Legion on the cenotaph project, said it will be difficult to explain to veterans when they arrive on Nov. 11 why this vandalism took place.
"I think its devastating to take into consideration the number of fallen people that we've had and this is a heck of a way to remember them and at this time of the year," Smith said.
"And to devastate this particular monument is terrible."
Perrault said while he thinks the cenotaph can be fixed, he wants the vandals to step forward.
"Please come forward, excuse yourself, the damage is done … come forward, why did you do that," Perrault said.
"Please I'm begging, come to the legion, come talk to me, please. My heart is broken, really broken."
Fredericton police are investigating.
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My personal feelings on the war have varied over the years and I am finding that I disagree more and more with the Canada's policies on the war effort as there are things that could have been done differently far sooner to have made more significant and stronger impacts on the war and in Afghanistan. My issue is with the politicians who make the decisions, not with the troops who serve.
The troops who serve, are men and women who enlisted in the CF for a job. They didn't know what the job could be.
20 years ago it was all peace-keeping, either UN or NATO led. Peace-keeping presented its own issues to our troops who were situated in the Balkans and Kosovo in the early 90's. It was a violent situation, rife with human abuses and because it was peace-keeping, there was no way to engage the 'enemy' to make them stop raping and torturing. Perhaps being able to stop the abuse with the shoot-first policy of war is better?
Since 2002 it has been a NATO led war. Some of our CF members that are serving and have served in Afghanistan signed up well before 9/11 was ever thought possible, some signed on after because 9/11 was reality.
I will continue to support our troops because they are doing a job, just like you & me. I am sure that they are not always thrilled with their job everyday, like us, but everyday they go and they do what they are asked by the "Boss". In their situation, the Boss happens to be the Canadian Government, the Canadian Government was elected by the people of Canada, ergo, they work for us so we damn well better realize that until we choose a government that will treat our employees better, that we should stand behind them and show them our support.
Bluntly, we put the politicians in the Parliament that put the troops in Afghanistan so regardless of how we voted last time and feel about the war effort, as citizens of a free and democratic nation; thank you to all World War Vets for that, and to all since who have fought, died, been wounded, kept the peace, seen the worst and best of humanity for making Canada the nation that she is; we have a right to bitch about it but we don't have a right to destroy and degrade.
I miss my friend that is currently serving oversees. Stay safe, stay well and regardless, you are remembered.
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