WARNING: newspaper article follows:

Vets aghast as cadets seek to rename Warriors' Day parades

Kathryn May, Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA - Canada's war veterans are locked in battle with the country's cadet leaders over the future of Warriors' Day parades.

Veterans are outraged at suggestions the word "warrior" be dropped from their annual parades at local fairs. They claim it is a denial of history and destroys a critical piece of Canada's military tradition.

Cadet corps and squadrons, however, refused to march at Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition and the Western Fair in London, Ont., this year unless the title was replaced by "Veterans Day."

The cadets, nervous about projecting an image as child warriors, said they would assist and carry signs or flags, but would not march in formation under the old name.

Ed Halayko, who sits on London's Warriors' Day committee, sent a stinging letter to Art Eggleton, Minister of Defence, in which he wrote: "Kindly explain how Canada became a nation without her warriors in wars. First, the French were beaten, then the Yanks, then the Boers, then World War I -- particularly Vimy Ridge -- then World War II and Korea."

"Those wars were not fought by Girl Guides or generals, but by warrior soldiers. Therefore, what jackass ... is responsible for this latest effort to convert our once-proud military into some Boy Scout movement? I have nothing against scouting, but they are not fighting men," Mr. Halayko said.

Mr. Eggleton's department provides funding to the cadets.

Colonel Rick Hardy, director of Canada's cadets, said the youth program is not a training camp for "child soldiers," and sending them to march in a Warriors' Day parade sends the wrong message.

Col. Hardy said Canada decries the use of child soldiers internationally and cannot be seen promoting child warriors at home.

"We don't want that name associated with children and cadets seen as warriors or warrior wannabes," Col. Hardy said. "Certainly, no youth group in this country respects and understands the military traditions like the cadets do ... but they are not warriors, they are not child soldiers and that's a perception we want to get rid of."

Col. Hardy said Canada's 55,000 cadets, aged 12 to 18, are exposed to military structure and discipline but are not trained in military manoeuvres and tactics. Fifteen per cent of cadets end up joining the military.

The cadets were started approximately 127 years ago by local Militia units as a way to encourage youth to join their ranks.

Cadets remained a key recruiting and training ground for the Armed Forces until the 1960s, when the group's focus shifted to one of "citizenship, leadership, physical activity and knowledge of the military and its history."

For such veterans as Mr. Halayko, who is also chairman of the Armed Forces Pensioners Association, the drubbing of "warrior" is political correctness in the extreme.

He said it masks the grim realities of war and debases the sacrifices of the thousands of soldiers who were killed and who killed in Canada's wars.

"So ... wave a fleur-de-lys at the enemy and hope to frighten them off. Get real. Wars are won by fighting men, not frightened prancing nancies being politically correct -- whatever that might mean," Mr. Halayko wrote.

"This is such a scandal. What has Canada come to? It bothers those of us who spent six years of our lives overseas to see this happen. It's part of our country and heritage."

Cadets will participate in the Warriors' Day parade at the CNE this year, as they always have, but they will not march with the veterans.

Parade organizers said they were surprised and perplexed by the cadets' objections. "What floors us is they don't want to be known as warriors but they're being trained as warriors," said Len Pelletier, the parade secretary.

He said the Toronto committee refused to budge and change the name of an 80-year tradition. He said the cadets want to review their position before taking part in next year's parade. He said they could be replaced by Boy Scouts and the parade would continue with or without them.

"We're certainly not going to change our name. We're going to keep on organizing the parade every year until there's no one left to parade," Mr. Pelletier said.

-the patriot-

This is Colonel Hardy

(patriot said "I think that the cadets who are wimping out should reconsider who the hell is letting them wear their cap brasses on their berets, wedges, etc.... ")

Frankly, I do not believe it's the cadets themselves who are wimping out. Rather, I strongly suspect this is being forced down some throats by politically correct staff (remember - the expression "the sun never sets upon Ottawa" is only true because NDHQ drags it down ...)

[ 05 June 2001: Message edited by: Soldier of Fortune ]

Soldier of Fortune

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
--George Orwell--

mr carlin's actually talking about bicycle helmets and soft playground equiptment but the message still remains the same.
STOP WITH POLLITICAL CORRECTNESS,YOU CANT PLEASE EVERYBODY.

whoever's idea it was to drop the word "warrior" from a veterens parade, they honestly need a reality check or a kick in the *** or SOMETHING. the word "warrior" has too rich a root in the cadet/veteren/reg/res f to be just "taken away and replaced" by another word.

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Note: Newspaper Article to Follow
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June 7,2021
Vet Up In Arms Over Warriors' Day Name Change
By Allan Woods
The London Free Press

As for Army Cadet League director Marion MacDonald's assertation that "no one's trying to rewrite history", ...
Hmmm ... reminds me of the joke about "how can you tell when an Army Cadet League director (or CIL officer) isn't telling the whole truth ... ?"

Soldier of Fortune

This is a Cadet Commanding Officer that thinks they're all that!!!!

This is the Cadet Commanding Officer at his/her Annual Inspection when the reviewing officer (most likely a veteran) pulls their regimental affiliation.

Next , I'm getting tired of the "they died for our sins" line every time something like this comes up. Vets made the ultimate sacrifce for this country which we all appreciate, but its is taken to the point of if your not for them, your against them. Pure Bul***it.

As for your rhetoric, I have learned nothing about the issue because you didn't cloud your judgement with facts. For instanace who made the decision? and for under what reasoning? Before we can make a fully informed opinion we need to know these things. And if justified who to direct our dismay towards. Lets not use the shotgun approach.

From what I've seen some people beleive in child warriors (quote"Child soldiers were used in Afghanistan against the Soviets in the late 80's, where was his politically correct garbage then?!!!!! It's because the Americans funded the Taliban through Pakistan to fight the Soviets by any means necessary") if the end justify the means. I thought our veterns fought against this. I for one get a real uncormfortable feeling when seeing a 12 yr old toting an AK47 that is bigger then he is and apprently knowing how to use it.

Next thing I pick up from the scant facts provided is that the cadets are still participating but only have reservations about the name. They are not against the vets parading or against vets themself. To me (and again I state, I don't know much about the Warrior's parade) the is nothing derogatory or demeaning about calling a vet veteren as opposed to warrior. And let me play devil's advocate here - Does the term warrior in this case mean those that actually went overseas and were in an active theatre of war or does it mean all vets regardless of whether they were consripts who never left Canada's shores but were never the less in the Armed Services or Merchant Marine (also true warriors in my eyes)

Lastly, nothing is black and white, but usually shades of grey. If you don't think cadets have a leg to stand on read the thread to the cadets who went out tagging and were called baby killers etc. So image and preception are important. As to the Cadets motto, which maple are we talking about. Compromise and cooperation or my way or the highway. You decide.

Ubique

Apology owed
Jim Lumsden, Letter to the Editor, The Ottawa Citizen

Col. Rick Hardy, director of Canada's cadets, says the youth program is not a training camp for "child soldiers" and that sending them to march in a Warriors' Day parade sends the wrong message. He decries the use of child soldiers internationally, and he reasons that we cannot be seen to be promoting child warriors at home.
Sir, the intention of the Warriors' Day parade was never to promote "child warriors." Rather, it is to honour our warriors for the service that they and their fallen comrades have rendered to Canada.
Col. Hardy would do well to remember the words spoken by former U.S. president Ronald Wilson Reagan at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Nov. 11, 1985:
"It is, in a way, an odd thing to honour those who died in defence of our country in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and grey-haired. But most of them were boys when they died, they gave up two lives -- the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for their country, for us. All we can do is remember."
Our cadets have marched in Warriors' Day parades to remember and honour our "warriors" and to learn, in a practical way, of our proud military history. I have seen no evidence that any of them became "child soldiers."
Shame on you, Col. Hardy, to have thought otherwise. You owe our warriors an apology.
Jim Lumsden,
Nepean
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Parade won't turn cadets into 'child warriors'
William Barclay, as quoted by The Ottawa Citizen