The Governor General honoured members of the Canadian forces on Monday. Two soldiers, Captain William Fletcher and Sergeant Patrick Tower, were awarded the Star of Military Valour, which is second only to the Victoria Cross in the list of Canadian gallantry medals. Four other servicemen received the Medal of Military Valour, the third-ranking decoration. A further 33 soldiers, including Captain Nicola Goddard, received service decorations.
As I watched the news reports, it struck me how bizarre the war in Afghanistan is. Thousands of men and women are serving or have served there. A number have died, and many more have been injured (some seriously). Yet the war is far away.
Sometimes, when the news shows scenes of Canadian soldiers firing and scrambling for cover, I feel like I am back in 1968 watching US Marines under fire in Vietnam. Or maybe "sitting in a pub watching the first Gulf War play out on CNN" is a better analogy. In either case, there is a disconnect that separates those over there and those over here. I wonder if the civilian population felt the same way in the First and Second World Wars.
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