(c) Can Stock Photo Inc. / _Vilor
By Joe Maloney, M.S.C.
International Vice-President
Each Remembrance Day, Canadians look back on the sacrifices that previous generations of our Armed Forces veterans have made for us. Recognizing them is important for our democracy today. We owe them our thanks for securing the freedoms and rights we still enjoy.
This year, I’ll once again commemorate their heroic efforts along with millions of my fellow Canadians. But the veterans who fought in past wars are not the only ones who deserve our thanks.
Let’s also dedicate some of our thoughts and our thanks to the men and women who continue to defend us today. The threats to our democracy may not be as obvious as they were in World War II but they are just as dangerous. The Canadian Forces still stand as a bulwark of our freedom.
In remembering our veterans of past years, we also need to add some concern for the soldiers of today. We’ve all read the disgraceful stories of veterans living in poverty and homelessness. We’ve all heard of the people who are pushed to the margins in the very country they helped to defend.
That has to stop. And Boilermakers can be thankful that we are one small part of the solution. Through Helmets to Hardhats, an organization of which we were key founders and in which we now participate, we offer today’s veterans the chance to enter rewarding careers in the construction trades and other occupations.
I’m sure you’re all familiar with Helmets to Hardhats. Over the years since it was founded, we’ve helped thousands of veterans make the sometimes-difficult transition to civilian life.
Today’s veterans are not necessarily old. In fact, many of the former soldiers who enter civilian life with honourable releases from the military are still in their twenties and thirties. These folks need exactly the type of help that Helmets to Hardhats can provide.
It’s the least we can do for the people who put their lives on the line for us. It’s only right to do what we can to help people who give so much of themselves to the country we all love.
Our efforts in Helmets to Hardhats are valuable. But we, as a society, also need to show our respect and appreciation for our veterans with the best medical care, good pensions and the support they deserve when rejoining civilian society. We need to remember them not only on one special day every year, but on the other 364 days too.
Here’s a big “thank you” to our veterans from thousands of Boilermakers coast to coast. And here is our pledge to you: that we will continue to work to give you the respect and help you deserve through Helmets to Hardhats and, by so doing, to show our governments and our fellow citizens that we can all do something to contribute.