REMEMBERS e Faces of Peace: of the

INTRODUCTION Canadian, Lester B. Pearson, won the 1957 Nobel Peace e mission of Canadian Armed Forces members is to Prize for his pioneering vision in helping establish a UN defend our country, its interests and its values, while force to prevent the Suez Crisis of the 1950s from contributing to international peace and security. ey escalating into a global confrontation. serve in many capacities at home and throughout the world carrying on Canada's proud military tradition. Since then, Canada's commitment to international peace Over the years, many Canadian Armed Forces Veterans eorts and other overseas military actions has continued. have served overseas in a variety of United Nations Some of the places Canadians have served include Egypt, (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Cyprus, Syria, the Persian Gulf, the former Yugoslavia, and other multinational task forces. Somalia, Haiti, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Eritrea, East Timor, and . International peace missions often have positive eects but the strife, conict and death that can surround these PEACE MISSION CHALLENGES eorts is not always easy to handle. Being separated from Peacekeeping is based on the idea that having a force of friends and family for months at a time, the possibility impartial troops present in a regional conict can help of witnessing extreme violence and cruelty, of having reduce tensions and improve the chance of peaceful to use force or have force used against you, and the settlement to a violent conict. But lling this role is realization that you could be killed or wounded while demanding work. Put yourself in the boots of a person carrying out your duties are some of the experiences that leaving on an international peace mission. You could be many Canadian Armed Forces Veterans know well. called upon to monitor cease-res, patrol buer zones, act as an intermediary between clashing groups, clear INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS land mines, investigate war crimes, protect refugees and During the rst half of the 20th century, some 1.7 provide humanitarian assistance. million Canadians were called upon to defend peace and freedom around the world during the First World War, e role of the Canadian Armed Forces now involves all the Second World War and the Korean War. Following aspects of peace support, including peace-making and these terrible conicts, in which more than 110,000 peace-building. e skills and training needed for peace Canadians died, Canada and other countries felt that it support includes combat skills as well as contact skills. was better to try to prevent wars when possible than eir lives and the lives of others often depend on their ght them. Our country played a leading role in the skill in both areas and their ability to use both at the peacekeeping movement from the outset. In fact, a right time. a helicopter. members running towards Canadian Armed Forces Defence Department of National Photo:

veterans.gc.ca Photo: Department of National Defence • • • FACTS ANDFIGURES peaceful. full- edged warwhere theenvironment isnotatall insituationsof isoftenaskedtointervene military little peacetokeep," areference tothefactthatour from peacemissionsoftenremark that"there wasvery unique. CanadianArmedForces membersreturning Forces peacemissionis whentheyenterintoanew Each situationencountered by theCanadianArmed mental injury. andmanymoreeorts have suered physicaland Approximately 130Canadianshave diedinthese to more than35countriesover thepastsixdecades. indozenshave ofinternationalpeacemissions served members and27,000reservists. numbersare approximatelymilitary 68,000regular force duringtheSecondserved World War. Our present-day andtheworld.Over onemillionCanadians country greatly over theyears, according totheneedsofour patrolling our air space and territorial waters, supporting patrolling ourairspaceandterritorialwaters,supporting functions.Search-and-rescueimportant operations, More than125,000CanadianArmedForces members hasvariede numberofCanadianswhohave served e CanadianArmedForces manyother perform battered country. laid thegroundwork relief inthe forfurther eorts helped manypeopleinthistimeofgreat upheaval and risks ofworking there were real. Lt.MacKinnon very Mogadishu. It wasatenseanddangerous time,andthe the victimsofwarandfamineinembattledcity orphanages andprovided humanitarianassistanceto operated amedicalclinic,worked inhospitalsand early 1990s,Naval LieutenantHeather MacKinnon inSomaliaexample, duringtheUNpeaceeorts inthe characterized by humanemotionandcompassion.For areto peacemissions,theon-the-ground eorts often reaching out. While there isalwaysapoliticalelement International peacemissionshave alargeelementof members and Veterans proudly wear thismedal. Tens CanadianArmedForces ofthousandsserving to create theCanadianPeacekeeping Medal. Service missions duringthatyear. ishonourinspired Canada inUN including thousandsofCanadians,whoserved collectively awarded totheworld'speacekeepers, In 1988,theprestigious Nobel Peace Prize was HEROES ANDBRAVERY of thesevitalduties. the Great Ice Storm of1998,are justasampleofsome natural disasters,suchastheManitoba Flood of1997or operationsandhelpingoutintheaftermathof anti-drug SACRIFICE Canada encourages all Canadians to learn about the Many Canadians have served on several international sacri ces and achievements made by those who have missions in the course of their careers, repeatedly served–and continue to serve– during times of war and ful lling their duties against the constant background of peace. As well, it invites Canadians to become involved danger. One example of this special eort comes from in remembrance activities that will help preserve their Master Corporal Mark Isfeld. He was a combat engineer legacy for future generations. who served in three peace missions before losing his life in a land mine explosion in Croatia in 1994. is To learn more about Canada’s role in peace support Canadian soldier was known for giving children in eorts over the years, please visit the Veterans Aairs war-torn regions handmade dolls that his mother and Canada Web site at veterans.gc.ca or call others in Canada had made. He passed out these dolls to 1-866-522-2122 toll free. try to bring a little happiness and hope to the children. After his tragic death, the story began to spread of how FOR MORE INFORMATION he touched childrens' lives with those handmade dolls Veterans Aairs Canada: veterans.gc.ca from Canada. ousands of these dolls then began to • ood in from people all across Canada who decided to make dolls for other Canadian soldiers to give away • Canadian Military History Gateway: overseas and keep M.Cpl. Isfeld's tradition alive. e www.cmhg.gc.ca dolls have since become known as Izzy dolls.

Canadian Armed Forces Veterans have made many • Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association: personal and global achievements, and have made www.cpva.ca personal sacri ces to defend Canada's interests and its values, while contributing to international peace and • Canadian Association of Veterans in United security. ese men and women take their honoured Nations Peacekeeping: www.cavunp.org place in our country's military history beside their fellow Veterans and fallen comrades of Canada's earlier war eorts. eir commitment has earned Canada a • e : www.legion.ca worldwide reputation as a country that supports and protects peace. is publication is availiable in other formats upon request. CANADA REMEMBERS PROGRAM e Canada Remembers Program of Veterans Aairs Canadian Armed Forces member in the cabin of a military vehicle. Canadian Armed Forces Defence Department of National Photo: