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Flag Half–Mast For Each Canadian Casualty
Ste. Anne de Bellevue Royal Canadian Legion's Controversial Decision
par Irene ChwalkowskiVoir tous les articles de Irene Chwalkowski
Article mis en ligne le 1 février 2008 à 11:25
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Flag Half–Mast For Each Canadian Casualty
Ste. Anne de Bellevue Royal Canadian Legion's Controversial Decision
Thirty Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in 2007, and each time, the Canadian flag at the Ste.Anne de Bellevue Canadian Legion has been lowered to half-mast. It’s a decision that is causing some controversy.
- Ste. Anne de Bellevue – @R: Glen Turner, an executive member of the Ste. Anne de Bellevue Royal Canadian Legion said that the 365 members of Branch 91 voted unanimously in early 2007 to lower the flag each time a soldier dies in overseas combat and leave it at half-mast until his or her body has returned to Canada, repatriated and buried. The process takes about 10 days.
“Legion Command left it up to each individual branch to make a decision,” said Turner. “They don’t have a protocol for this.”
Turner said that they are heartened by the response.
“We are getting support from the community. We’ve had calls from family members of soldiers that are over there to tell us they appreciate our support,” he said.
Turner said that there also has been interest from other legions, like Pointe Claire and Verdun who have called to ask questions. “They’d like to do it as well,” he said.
“There are different reasons why some (legions) are not doing it,” Turner said. He explained that some of their buildings only have flags on the front of the building that are set at an angle – these can’t be lowered.
“Some of the legions are owned by the cities and they would have to get their employees to do it,” he said.
The Ste. Anne Royal Canadian Legion owns its own building and has Quebec and Canadian flags jutting out from the front of their building. The tall flagpole located in the back, overlooking Lake St. Louis, is the one whose flag is lowered.
- Ste. Anne de Bellevue – @R: Glen Turner, an executive member of the Ste. Anne de Bellevue Royal Canadian Legion said that the 365 members of Branch 91 voted unanimously in early 2007 to lower the flag each time a soldier dies in overseas combat and leave it at half-mast until his or her body has returned to Canada, repatriated and buried. The process takes about 10 days.
“Legion Command left it up to each individual branch to make a decision,” said Turner. “They don’t have a protocol for this.”
Turner said that they are heartened by the response.
“We are getting support from the community. We’ve had calls from family members of soldiers that are over there to tell us they appreciate our support,” he said.
Turner said that there also has been interest from other legions, like Pointe Claire and Verdun who have called to ask questions. “They’d like to do it as well,” he said.
“There are different reasons why some (legions) are not doing it,” Turner said. He explained that some of their buildings only have flags on the front of the building that are set at an angle – these can’t be lowered.
“Some of the legions are owned by the cities and they would have to get their employees to do it,” he said.
The Ste. Anne Royal Canadian Legion owns its own building and has Quebec and Canadian flags jutting out from the front of their building. The tall flagpole located in the back, overlooking Lake St. Louis, is the one whose flag is lowered.
Hudson Legion Branch voted to not lower flag
The Hudson Legion is not lowering the flag for individual soldiers, according to Canadian Military and local historian Rod Hodgson.
“If we had done that during WWII, the flag would have been down all the time,” he said in a telephone interview from his home in Hudson. “We lost 400 soldiers in Korea.”
The flag is lowered when the Queen or the Prime Minister die, and maybe when an MP dies,” Hodgson said.
“We lower the flag in Hudson when a member of the Hudson Legion dies. We lowered it on April 17 for Vimy Ridge in respect for the guys that died in 1917.”
Hodgson said that a few years ago he thought it would be a good idea. He empathically said that the fact it was not being done was definitely not out of a lack of respect.
“We have deep respect for the soldiers and their families that are committing their lives,” he said. “It’s a touchy situation. There’s a fine line – do you do it or do you not?”
“We have two soldiers – one that came back safe last year and one who’s over there now. If God help us, one of them would die, I would make sure that they lower the flag! It would be one of Hudson’s own. A Hudson soldier. The son of a town – that’s different,” he said.
“But a soldier that dies in another part of the country like the Beauce - there’s no connection,” Hodgson said.
“If N.D.G. lost one of their own, I think they would,” he said.
The president of the Hudson Legion, John Dalgarmo, could not be reached for comment before press time.
As reported in a local daily Wednesday, the N.D.G. Legion branch voted against lowering the flag to half-mast each time a soldier is killed in combat in Afghanistan.
It’s become a politically sensitive issue as the number of casualties rise. The federal government has set up an advisory committee to look at new guidelines for honouring the fallen soldiers.
In the meantime, the Ste. Anne Royal Legion is throwing a welcome home party for one of their own, on February 16.
The Hudson Legion is not lowering the flag for individual soldiers, according to Canadian Military and local historian Rod Hodgson.
“If we had done that during WWII, the flag would have been down all the time,” he said in a telephone interview from his home in Hudson. “We lost 400 soldiers in Korea.”
The flag is lowered when the Queen or the Prime Minister die, and maybe when an MP dies,” Hodgson said.
“We lower the flag in Hudson when a member of the Hudson Legion dies. We lowered it on April 17 for Vimy Ridge in respect for the guys that died in 1917.”
Hodgson said that a few years ago he thought it would be a good idea. He empathically said that the fact it was not being done was definitely not out of a lack of respect.
“We have deep respect for the soldiers and their families that are committing their lives,” he said. “It’s a touchy situation. There’s a fine line – do you do it or do you not?”
“We have two soldiers – one that came back safe last year and one who’s over there now. If God help us, one of them would die, I would make sure that they lower the flag! It would be one of Hudson’s own. A Hudson soldier. The son of a town – that’s different,” he said.
“But a soldier that dies in another part of the country like the Beauce - there’s no connection,” Hodgson said.
“If N.D.G. lost one of their own, I think they would,” he said.
The president of the Hudson Legion, John Dalgarmo, could not be reached for comment before press time.
As reported in a local daily Wednesday, the N.D.G. Legion branch voted against lowering the flag to half-mast each time a soldier is killed in combat in Afghanistan.
It’s become a politically sensitive issue as the number of casualties rise. The federal government has set up an advisory committee to look at new guidelines for honouring the fallen soldiers.
In the meantime, the Ste. Anne Royal Legion is throwing a welcome home party for one of their own, on February 16.
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