Heroes

November 11, 2007 "Remembrance Day" in Canada "Veteran's Day" in the US.

This morning, I found myself struck by the oddest thought.

World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea, Gulf 1, Gulf 2.. The boys - and I do mean boys - that died in those conflict are generally awarded the honorific of "hero."

Why is that? Those boys didn't 'heroically' die; they also didn't volunteer to die, not exactly.

Increasingly, I am seeing people's attitudes change from "He was a hero because he died for his country," but instead, "He served his country."

My thoughts went back to a brief period in the office of a vice president at a local insurance client.

“Mike” and I were talking about a number of things, but my view was drawn to the picture of a serviceman on his desk - and I inquired if it was a family member of his, perhaps a son.

I won't go into his story, but the topic did turn to 'service' and Mike asked me if I'd served. When I told him yes, he did something that utterly shocked me.

"I thank you for your service to your country."

I was taken aback; I didn't expect that at all. Further, I was surprised that an American was thanking a Canadian for serving Canada. He was deadly serious, he wasn’t saying it tongue in cheek. He meant it.

I felt ashamed, because my own mother felt the need to send care packages to American servicemen serving in Iraq, and exhorted me to do the same - completely disregarding the fact that my own comrades in arms, men and women I served with, are over there serving alongside Americans in theatre of combat. That is not to suggest that American soldiers don’t deserve support, but Canadians should support Canadian Troops first.

November 9th, I got an email from another friend, with a subject line of "Happy Veteran's Day," and the simple line inside of, "Thank you for all of our Freedom. I thank you for mine."

I'm sitting here with tears running down my face as I think of Alf, the elderly man in the Legion in East Kildonan in Winnipeg, recounting stories of driving a scout vehicle after being put ashore at Normandy, with the engineers of the 8th Brigade. Why did I go to the Legion every year? That was because of someone who taught me what it meant to be a soldier, and what it meant to be an officer in charge of leading soldiers.

So today, Remembrance Day of 2007, I want to thank my hero: Ed. You don't need his last name, that's not important. What is important is that he made sure that a young Officer Cadet Hadfield learned to conduct himself above reproach, to ensure that he led by example, to ensure that he had the trust and confidence of the soldiers he led.

Thank you for teaching me what it means to give my time.

Thank you for showing me not just how, but why to serve my country. For doing things not for recompense, but because it’s the right thing to do – Even when you yourself didn’t want me to do them.

Thank you for your service to me, the countless others who have looked up to you, and to our country.

Thank you for being a guiding influence in my life, and more than anything else, how to be a man.


Darryl Hadfield
2Lt (Ret)
Canadian Armed Forces