STEPHEN J. THORNE

Government ignoring plight of Afghan translators in Canada: Ombudsman

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

The military ombudsman has called out the federal government for ignoring the plight of former Afghan translators who put their lives and those of their families on the line working alongside Canadian forces during 14 years of war.

In a Sept. 29, 2023, letter to Defence Minister Bill Blair, Gregory Lick said 15 of the former “language and cultural advisers” now living in Canada had contacted his office since July complaining that claims they filed with the Workers Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB) have not been adequately addressed.

READ MORE

More from Front Lines

• Playing politics
• How we talk about war and remembrance
• Israel Defence Forces take lessons from Ukraine war

WIKIMEDIA

The first all-Canadian bush plane

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

When Robert B.C. Noorduyn set out to create Canada’s first bush plane, his design boiled down to three fundamental criteria: be economical, make loading easy and be the best bush plane in operation. Simple enough.

His finished product was called the Noorduyn Norseman, and it was the first bush plane to be designed and built in Canada and the first Canadian aircraft adopted by the United States military.

READ MORE

More from Military Milestones

• The Victoria Cross recipient behind Toronto’s Barron Road
• Canada’s early naval struggles
• Builders of the Alaska Highway

Member Benefit Partner

Deep, restorative sleep is key to improved mental and physical health.

RCL members can now save on Sleep Products!

• 25% Off Pillows and Sheets
• $100 Off Mattresses, Adjustable Base Bundles, and Lift Chairs

Call 800-455-6421 or visit https://offer.ultramaticsleep.com

Learn more

Stephen J. Thorne

How we talk about war and remembrance

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

The language of war and remembrance is couched in euphemism, hyperbole and a healthy dose of gilded lilies. In short, a lot of overused words and hackneyed phrases that tend to glorify and obfuscate, comfort and satisfy.

In war, politicians and military mucky-mucks use alternative language to soften the reality of, or maintain support for, humankind’s greatest failure—phrases or words such as “collateral damage” for civilian casualties, “enhanced interrogation techniques” for torture, “ethnic cleansing” for genocide, and “conflict” for war.

READ MORE

More from Front Lines

• Israel Defence Forces take lessons from Ukraine war
• Cordite, camel trains and General Allenby: Uncle Harvey’s war diaries
• Freedom is not free: Supporting Canada’s military

CWM

Canada’s early naval struggles

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

“This is going to be an awful trip,” sailor James Reeves reflected in a letter to his wife.

Reeves was by no means a complainer, and his sentiment, echoed by his mates, was prophetic. The crew of HMCS Galiano were set to sail “the Triangle,” a body of water between B.C.’s Cape Scott and Cape St. James deemed the “worst piece of water on the Pacific Coast.” The ship traversed the foreboding stretch in an attempt to provide Triangle Island residents with supplies and gasoline during a wicked October storm.

“I don’t think we will be home until the end of November,” fellow shipmate James Aird commented. “I dread the Triangle.”

READ MORE

More from Military Milestones

• Builders of the Alaska Highway
• Nellie McClung, a military mother
• Honouring the sacrifices of nurse Edith Cavell

Member Benefit Partner

Join Dominion President Bruce Julian and Darlene Julian, BST Vacations, and Royal Canadian Legion members from across Canada on an Ultimate Southern Caribbean Cruise on the innovative Celebrity Silhouette. This 10-night cruise will be sailing to St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Tobago, Grenada, & Antigua, includes 4 glorious days at sea, and 1 night pre-cruise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Discover amazing enhancements at every turn. You’ll relax in transformed staterooms that are so gorgeous, you may never want to leave your room!

Learn more