Petawawa’s Honour Our Veterans Banner Program formally launched

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Lampposts all through the city have been adorned with 32 banners highlighting present and previous army items and honouring previous and serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

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The Honour our Veterans Banner Program, initiated by the Rotary Membership of Petawawa in co-operation with Petawawa Legion Department 517 and Garrison Petawawa, was formally launched at a ceremony held beside the Petawawa cenotaph on the Legion department on Oct. 5.

Every of the banners embrace the unit’s title and cap badge, a Canadian flag, and a area of poppies.

“The Rotary Membership of Petawawa could be very glad to be a companion within the Veterans Banner program,” stated Valerie Hyska, Rotary Membership president. “It’s one thing that we’ve wanted for a very long time and was an amazing thought and one thing that we had been tremendous glad to be a part of. It’s going to be a really seen signal to our army members that we’re right here in help, we bear in mind what they did and we have a good time every of the regiments which can be both right here presently or have traditionally been right here.”

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Every banner prices roughly $200 with the bulk having been sponsored by numerous teams, organizations, companies, and people within the city together with the Rotary Membership and the Legion.

4th Canadian Division Help Group (4 CDSG) Deputy Commander Lt.-Col. Enno Kerckhoff referred to as the initiative implausible and a tangible reminder of the connection that the troopers on the bottom and the items have with the neighborhood.

“The truth that it’s neighborhood members that had been sponsoring the banners is a superb reminder for all of these troops as they’re driving in to work on daily basis or driving house, of the energy of that relationship between the neighborhood and the bottom,” Kerckhoff stated.

Rotarian Gary Serviss, who mc’d the grand opening of the banner program, was excited to see the initiative launch and the banners begin to go up within the city.

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“It’s a spectacular day as we speak and I’d should say it’s a mixture of pleasure, pleasure and a little bit of reduction to lastly see this come to fruition as a result of it actually was nearly a two-year journey from the time that we conceived the concept after which labored with the garrison and the entire different historic people to guarantee that we bought this proper, and now it’s lastly occurred. It’s a reduction and we’re honored to do that in Petawawa for the garrison and the entire Armed Forces members who served prior to now and who’re serving now,” Serviss stated.

He defined that the Rotary Membership of Petawawa conceived the concept, however earlier than it might proceed it first needed to be authorised by city council.

“So a presentation was made to city council and there was unanimous help behind the venture. After which in fact we have now to seek the advice of with Garrison Petawawa as a result of, you already know, we’re doing it in collaboration with them and for them. After which the largest part of this was the entire historic analysis and to contact every of the items on the bottom to guarantee that the CAP badge that we’re placing on this banner is the one which’s presently getting used,” Serviss stated.

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Kerckhoff defined that guaranteeing the accuracy of the badges was paramount.

“So there’s nothing that the army likes greater than element, consideration to element. So to guarantee that we bought the whole lot proper, that each badge was right, that each little bit of terminology was right, was completely important as a result of each image, each phrase has that means in the best way that these items’ crests are designed. So it was completely important that it come throughout accurately and present the correct respect,” Kerckhoff stated.

There are 32 banners in whole, Serviss defined, with the current day items at Garrison Petawawa utilizing their present cap badges with eight of the previous items utilizing the final cap badge of the unit earlier than it was disbanded.

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Serviss stated he got here up with the concept after seeing different cities that had put up banner with particular person Armed Forces members faces on them.

“In order that was our unique proposal, however as a result of we’re in a city, it’s a army city, there can be so many individuals that we’d should honor and never sufficient lampposts. We must go to some form of rotation after which it might take years for someone to see their banner up on a publish. After which there was additionally the priority that we’d miss someone and it might turn out to be controversial. So we thought this was one of the best ways that we are able to honor everyone all of sudden, by honoring the items. By doing that, you’re honoring everyone that has served and can serve and is serving in that unit. All of them,” Serviss stated.

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The banners began going up on October 6 with the primary banner on the left facet of the bridge over the Petawawa River being the Royal Canadian Legion Petawawa Department 517, adopted by 4 CDSG and a pair of CMBG. From there they proceed alphabetically starting with 1 RCR. Current day items will proceed down Petawawa Boulevard and left down Civic Centre Street. Previous items will go down Victoria Avenue previous the city corridor, ending with a second Legion banner. Yearly, the banners will go up in mid-October and stay on the lampposts till shortly after Remembrance Day.

There are nonetheless banner sponsorship alternatives. If fascinated by sponsoring one of many unsponsored banners, attain out to Rotarians Valerie Hyska, Gary Serviss or Ed Chow by the membership’s Fb web page.

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Current items:

1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR)

1st Canadian Discipline Hospital (1 Cdn Fd Hosp)

1 Dental Unit Detachment Petawawa (1 DU)

2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG)

2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Alerts Squadron (2 HQ & SIGS)

2 Fight Engineer Regiment (2 CER)

2 Discipline Ambulance (2 Fd Amb)

2 Navy Police Regiment (2 Mp Regt)

2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (2 RCHA)

2 Service Battalion (2 Svc Bn)

third Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR)

4th Canadian Division Help Base (4 CDSB)

77 Line Regiment (77 Line Regt)

427 Particular Operations Aviation Squadron (427 SOAS)

450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (450 THS)

Canadian Particular Operations Regiment (CSOR)

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Canadian Particular Operations Coaching Centre (CSOTC)

Central Medical Tools Depot (CMED)

Actual Property Operations Detachment Petawawa (RealPropOpDt)

Royal Canadian Chaplain Service (Chaplains)

Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD)

Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME)

Previous items:

1st Air Defence Regiment (1 AD Regt)

2 Alerts Squadron (2 Sigs Sqn)

2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade (2 CIB)

4 RCHA (Royal Canadian Horse Artillery) (4 RCHA)

eighth Canadian Hussars (8 CH)

Canadian Airborne (CAR)

The Canadian Guards (Cdn Gds)

Fort Garry Horse (FGH)

Particular Service Pressure (SSF)

Royal Canadian Legion

Royal Canadian Legion Petawawa (Department 517)

adixon@postmedia.com