PC destroys everything that’s nice and good, including a 90-year-old tradition.
The omitting of a three-volley gun salute at this year’s Remembrance Day service at Riverside Veteran’s Memorial Park signals the end of 90 years of local tradition. Citing a Canadian Forces protocol directive that a gun salute is only accorded a funeral, the local army reserve unit declined to continue a long standing tradition.
This tradition was granted to the local Legion since the commemoration of the wartime memorial/cenotaph in 1922. The 21-gun salute conducted in Ottawa and the various provincial capitals, are limited to naval guns or army howitzer salutes and are listed as protocol in those cities only. However, in the past, the three volley rifle salutes were often held in various cities and over the years grew smaller and smaller until cities like ours remained. That is until this year.
While never officially sanctioned, it was a local custom granted to the Legion to help commemorate the fallen in wartime/peacekeeping service, which was always the South Alberta Light Horse and its predecessors that conducted the salute. As a past 37-year member of the Regiment and one who served on the rifle party on several occasions, it was with pride that I participated in the gun salute. The Regiment, in the past number of years, has always had to fight to be recognized in this community, and always been in the shadow of the CF Base to the west of the city, but has now by its own volition lost the one major “Footprint” in the community.
Traditions trump protocol when it is for the betterment of the community and this decision by the Regiment not to proceed with a local tribute to the fallen citizens that even came from its own ranks, is just one more loss it cannot afford.
The guns are silent, but hopefully the voices are not. For many in the crowd it was always the sound of the rifle volleys that reverberated down the river valley signaling the end of the two minutes silence that bring them to remember the fallen soldiers and draws them to the services for the uniqueness over others. It was those voices that’s asked, “where were the gun salutes?”
Jim Ogston
Medicine Hat
Source: http://medicinehatnews.com/commentary/letters-to-the-editor/2013/12/gun-salute-discontinued-due-to-protocol/
Sad, isn’t it? A noble tradition killed for what? Protocol? This is why I always say liberals have no respect for nothing.
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