BCD’s honour Battle of Passchendaele at Operation Distinction in Belgium

From 1 Nov – 14 Nov I am honored to say that I was part of Operation Distinction. One member from each regiment that fought in the battle of Passchendaele was selected to be part of the honor guard. I was proud to be the soldier that would represent my regiment during these ceremonies. These events where to commemorate the struggles of our soldiers, their families, and country during World War 1.

I flew to Ottawa where the contingent had a few practice days before traveling to Belgium where the ceremonies took place. One of the largest ceremonies was Menin Gate, in Ypres. The Menin Gate was erected to remember all the soldiers in that region with no known graves. The monument displays 54,395 names, engraved in its walls.

There were a total of 7 ceremonies conducted all over the Flanders region of Belgium, three of which were televised. The videos can be found on the Canada Remembers Facebook page.

Again, I was honored and thankful of the opportunity to play a part in honoring Soldiers of my regiments past. With these ceremonies I hope that the people of Canada are reminded that freedom does not come free. It is costly, and many brave young Canadians paid the ultimate price for the opportunities we have today.

Written by Cpl Brady Parmelee