PM addresses the True Patriot Love inaugural gala

Check against delivery

Thank you very much everybody. Greetings to Premier McGuinty, to former Premier Davis, to former Prime Minister Martin, to Lieutenant Governor Onley, former Lieutenant Governor Weston, to Generals Natynczyk, McKenzie and Hillier, colleagues from the Parliament of Canada, members of the diplomatic community, honoured guests of the head table, men and women of the Canadian Forces, and of course all of you ladies and gentlemen.

Let me begin by congratulating everyone who had a hand in putting together the inaugural True Patriot Love gala dinner. I salute the organizers for their hard work and the sponsors for their generous support of the men, women and
 
Events like this, public expressions of support for our troops and their families have flourished across Canada in recent years.  In fact, public appreciation for our military may be higher today than at any time since the Second World War.

I attended one of the first Red Friday rallies back in the fall of 2006.  More than 10,000 people assembled in front of the Parliament Buildings.  The vast sea of red was living proof of the powerful loyalty and love, the true patriot love, that Canadians have for our country and for the special people who defend it.

We have seen that love and loyalty expressed in countless other ways by groups and individuals from coast to coast to coast.  Through thousands of personal letters and gifts sent to our troops in Afghanistan; through generous donations to initiatives like the Military Families Fund; through spontaneous displays of respect and compassion such as the solemn vigils we see along the Highway of Heroes when our fallen soldiers return for their final journey; and through the rising attendance at annual Remembrance Day ceremonies in communities large and small right across Canada.

Indeed a joint Historica-Dominion Institute survey released just this week finds that nearly 5 million Canadians plan to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony this year, up from 4 million last year.  I believe that such displays of affection and respect for our troops are part of who we are as a people.  We know in our hearts that we owe our freedom, our democracy and our prosperity to the millions of Canadians who by serving in our armed forces have kept the True North strong and free for over two centuries. And that's why events like the True Patriot Love gala attract such tremendous support from loyal Canadians

The principal beneficiary of this fundraiser will be the Military Families Fund.  This noble initiative launched by General Hillier in 2007 augments the institutional support provided to military servicemen and women and their families by the Canadian Forces and the government of Canada.  It is inspired by the recognition that the Canadian Forces are a family, not just of brothers and sisters in arms, but of wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbours; the vast network of Canadians who form the extended family of our men and women in uniform.

Napoleon famously said that an army marches on its stomach.  No doubt that's true.  But it succeeds on the strength of its morale, and the single most important source of strong morale is the love and support of the people back home.  I've heard this many times from our troops during my visits to Afghanistan and to Army, Navy and Air Force bases in every part of Canada.  We've heard it tonight from injured soldiers who say it was essential to their recovery.  And we've heard it from the families of the fallen soldiers who say it helped them cope with their unspeakable grief.

Despite the extreme dangers and enormous frustrations of the mission in Afghanistan, and despite the fact that we have been there almost as long as we were in the two World Wars combined, our military commanders report, and I've witnessed it myself, that the morale of our troops remains extremely high in the field.
 
Our troops are fiercely and justifiably proud of their performance in Afghanistan, but more than anything else, their morale is sustained by the knowledge that they have the unequivocal love and support of their families, friends and communities, of their government and of their fellow citizens.  For this reason, the government of Canada will make a contribution this evening to the Military Families Fund. This donation is being made at the request of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who I met with this morning, and it's being done in lieu of the customary official gift offered during royal visits.  It will be for an amount of $250,000.

I want to conclude with a story that illustrates all the themes I've touched on tonight.  It is a story of courage, sacrifice, family and true patriot love.  It is the story of Master Corporal Jody Mitic, who lost both his legs to a land mine in Afghanistan on January 11th, 2007, and of Sergeant Alannah Gilmore, the medic who attended to his wounds on that fateful day.  The traumatic experience they shared bonded them for life.  They have been together ever since, and today they are the proud parents of a beautiful one-year-old baby girl, and of course they are two most honoured guests at the head table tonight.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to ask you all to rise and to join me in a toast to these two Canadian heroes, and in their name, to all like them.  Jody and Alannah, on behalf of everyone here and Canadians everywhere, you're an inspiration to us all.  Please accept our profound gratitude for the sacrifices you have made and for your true patriot love, and we salute you, both of you, with the official toast of Jody's Royal Canadian Regiment: Pro Patria.

Once again, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for having me tonight.  God bless the men and women of our forces. God bless Canada.

All News

---

Related Items