Volume 22 www.legionnl.com 21 Newfoundland Labrador Command Close to 200 people, including special guests and dignitaries, showed up Sunday near the cenotaph in Long Pond, CBS for a surprisingly poignant dedication ceremony for a LAV III armoured personnel carrier. What made the ceremony touching for those on hand, and explained why the vehicle was so important, were the firsthand accounts of Canadian soldiers who found shelter in the LAVs during their tours of combat in Afghanistan. The ceremony was long in the making. Over a couple of years, the past Honorary Colonel of 37 Service Battalion, Kathy LeGrow of Topsail, and the current Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Forces in Newfoundland, Wayne Miller, led the effort first to secure the huge vehicle, then to have it set up near the cenotaph outside the Town Hall. But it was speeches by Brigadier General Stéphane Masson, the Commander of the 5th Canadian Division, and Lieutenant Colonel Strong Kyle Strong of CBS, who both served in Afghanistan, who brought home the dangers, fears and sacrifices of the Canadian soldiers who essentially lived in the vehicles for stretches at a time. Mayor Darrin Bent opened the speeches by welcoming Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote, other special guests, both military and civilian, and CBS residents and others who attended the ceremony, which included a flyover by a Canadian Forces plane from Greenwood Nova Scotia, perfectly timed, it seemed, as Royal Canadian Air Force veteran Woodrow French, on hand to represent Canadian peacekeepers and Metis members of the Forces, was making his remarks. “The Light Armoured Vehicle Monument, also known as a LAV III, recognizes the 40,000 Canadians Armed Forces members who served in Afghanistan from 20012014 and commemorates the 162 Canadians who lost their lives – many of those fallen heroes from right here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said the mayor. “This monument serves as a lasting tribute to the families of our Canadian Forces, whose lives were forever impacted by the deployment of their loved ones. It also honours the veterans of that conflict who reside within our hometown, some of whom are employees of the Town of Conception Bay South. In fact, the Conception Bay South Fire Department has nearly 20 per cent of its members who are still serving or are veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces.” Bent noted the people of CBS have a long heritage of military service. “During World War I, many families from our community of Topsail, now part of Conception Bay South, suffered the loss of loved ones on July 1st, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel – three of whom were Blue Puttees,” he noted. “In 1922, the Topsail War Memorial was unveiled to honour those who had made that supreme sacrifice. The original Topsail War Memorial is now the focal point of the Conception Bay South Monument of Honour, which was unveiled in 2015 and proudly recognizes all members of the Uniformed Services.” In 2019, on the recommendation of Miller and LeGrow, the Town applied for a LAV III Monument, to continue its support and appreciation for military service and sacrifice. “In 2021, this full-size, demilitarized, replica LAV III was unveiled next to the Conception Bay South Monument of Honour, but today’s ceremony was delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions,” Bent said. “These monuments are constructed from previously used LAV III hulls and remnant parts, which have been decommission by the Government of Canada. This LAV III is a permanent community symbol of remembrance, CBS vet touches hearts at Afghanistan remembrance ceremony continued... By Craig Westcott THE SHORELINE theshoreline.ca October 13, 2022
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