Canada’s longest military engagement was recognized May 9 with a Day of Honour on Parliament Hill and in smaller ceremonies across Canada.

The Queen issued a royal proclamation March 17 setting the date to recognize the more than 40,000 Canadians who served in the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan along with the diplomats and other civilians who served with them and especially the families who kept the home fires burning while they were away.

Governor General David Johnston salutes as the parade marches past.

PHOTO: TOM MacGREGOR

The last soldiers serving in Kabul returned to Canada in early March. With them, they brought the last Maple Leaf flag that flew over the Canadian headquarters in Kabul. That flag would be carried in a specially made baton by the Soldier On Afghanistan relay team of injured veterans who would run, walk and wheel it more than 300 kilometres from Trenton, Ont., to Ottawa and Gatineau, Que.

Public events in Ottawa began with a parade that formed up near the Canadian War Museum on LeBreton Flats. Several thousand people watched as the parade, which featured three bands, made its way along Wellington Street to Parliament Hill.

The first contingent was made up of veterans retired from the CAF in civilian clothes. They were followed by two contingents of uniformed veterans who were still serving in the military. Behind them was a group of Royal Canadian Mounted Police who had served in Afghanistan, followed by diplomats and other civilian personal who had served alongside the Canadian Armed Forces. Last was a group of officers from Corrections Canada in uniform. Almost all wore the General Service Medal—South-west Asia or the General Campaign Star—South-west Asia, with one or more bars denoting the number of rotations served.

They were followed by 16 armoured vehicles which then joined a static display already on the Hill and included a Chinook helicopter, a Leopard 2 tank and an M-777 howitzer artillery gun. Each bit of kit was demonstrated by veterans who had served in Afghanistan.

The master of ceremonies for the show was Rick Hansen, the wheelchair athlete who circled the world in his Man in Motion tour which raised money and awareness for spinal cord injuries. Hansen was dressed in his army uniform as honorary colonel of the Canadian Forces Joint Personnel Support Unit. Handling the French introductions was Captain Simon Mailloux who lost his left leg below the knee to an improvised explosive device in 2007 and was part of the Soldier On relay.

Governor General David Johnston was already on the Hill, having attended an earlier service in the Senate. He arrived with his wife Sharon, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen, accompanied by Defence Minister Rob Nicholson, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino and Chief of Defence Staff General Tom Lawson.

They were followed by a couple of hundred family members of the 158 Canadians who had paid the ultimate sacrifice. Rows of schoolchildren sitting on the steps leading up to the Centre Block filled in the background.

Representing The Royal Canadian Legion were Dominion President Gordon Moore, Grand President Larry Murray, Dominion First Vice Tom Eagles and Dominion Secretary Brad White.

Johnston inspected the troops, including the Soldier On Afghanistan relay team which had brought the flag to Parliament Hill.

Earlier in the week, headlines were made when Dominion President Moore questioned the intention of presenting the flag to the prime minister. “His Excellency is the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. That’s who we, as former members and serving members, hold in respect because he is our commander. I firmly believe that’s who should be receiving the flag,” Moore said.

In what appeared to be a change of plan, the baton was presented to parade commander Major-General Dean Milner, who presented it to General Lawson, who presented it to the Prime Minister. Harper then presented it to the Governor General for safekeeping until it is installed in the Hall of Honour in the Centre Block.

An artillery gun fired at exactly 1:30, marking the start of two minutes of silence which was broken by the noise of a flypast.

First in the flypast was an Airbus, followed by two Hercules and an Aurora maritime patrol aircraft. They were followed by two Griffon helicopters and a Chinook. Last, flying very low, was the huge CC-117 Globemaster transport aircraft.

“This mission was highly complex and difficult and it cost a real human price—for Canada, for Afghanistan and for our allies,” said the Governor General. “We have met with your families and loved ones and we have stood beside the families of those who have fallen at repatriation ceremonies and shared their pain and grief. Though pale in comparison with the challenges you have faced, these were some of the most difficult moments of my life.”

Prime Minister Harper followed Johnston. “This National Day of Honour, the first of its kind in Canadian history, is a unique opportunity for us to say thank you to the men and women who have fought and served for Canada. We are here to honour their dedication, to honour their heroism and to honour their sacrifice.”

Harper went on to chronicle Canada’s involvement in past conflicts and make a welcomed announcement. “In other words, Canadians have always been willing to shoulder our share of the burden in defence of our freedoms and of the values we share with our fellow human beings. In the spirit of Vimy, that is what you did in Afghanistan where the fight was as fierce as any Canadian has ever seen,” he said. “That is why the dates 2001-2014 will be chiselled into the stone of the National War Memorial, into our memories for all time.”

The simple ceremony ended with the singing of God Save The Queen and the dismissal of the parade. Afterwards, many of the spectators stayed to talk with the veterans and examine the deadly tools used in that far-off conflict.