June is National Aboriginal Month. The National Aboriginal Veterans Monument in Ottawa commemorates the contributions of all Aboriginal peoples in war and peacekeeping operations from World War I to the present. At the bottom of this article you will see some ways to help honour our Aboriginal Sapper Veterans.
Written by By Lieutenant McNeely, 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment
(Originally published in Canadian Army at http://army.gc.ca/en/news-publications/national-news-details-no-menu.pa… )
On June 3, 2017, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER) was granted Freedom of the City of Bon Accord, Alberta.
On this date in 1944, assault trained Sappers began embarking at Southhampton for the invasion of Normandy.
Pictured here with the Minister of National Defence, Harjit Singh Sajjan, and the Commandant of the Royal Military College, Brigadier-General Sean Friday, is Chief Warrant Officer Mike Thompson displaying his newly granted degree. CWO Thompson completed his degree under Non-Commissioned Members Professional Development (NCMPD) programme and is assigned the letter 'E" to precede his college number.
CWO Thompson will replace CWO Gary Leblanc and Combat Engineer Career Manager this summer.
Article by Ken Holmes
The Canadian Military Engineer Association and its predecessor, the Military Engineer Association of Canada (MEAC) have a long history of recognising the sacrifices of those members of the Canadian Military Engineer Family who have given their lives in the Service of Canada.
Applications for the CMEA Bursary Program for 2017 are due by 15 September 2017. See https://cmea-agmc.ca/cmea-bursary-program for entry requirements and application details.
A husband-and-wife team of WW I researchers in Belgium have helped identify the location of a WW I Sapper Officer attached to the Royal Flying Corps whose final resting place, until recently, was only “Known unto God”.
Details of the 2017 Support Our Troops Scholarship Program available to families of currently serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and veterans for the 17/18 academic year have been distributed across the normal channels. This program is made possible through Support Our Troops, the official charity of the CAF Community.