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Cover Story

No half-mast flag at Parliament for Canadian war hero

By Judi McLeod
Friday, august 5, 2005

Toronto-- Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal Government treats Canada's diminishing war veterans the same way in death as it treats them in life–shamefully.

MP Betty Hinton, Kamloops Thompson Cariboo, was astonished to learn that flags on Parliament Hill were still flying at full mast yesterday, while Canada mourned the loss of Ernest "Smokey" Smith.

"This is a blatant example of this Liberal government's total disrespect for Canada's veterans," said Hinton.

No Canadian flags were lowered to half-mast for Smokey Smith, who earned the highest military honour for acts of valour, the Victoria Cross–and was Canada's last remaining recipient.

Born in New Westminster, B.C., on May 3, 1914, Smith earned the nickname Smokey in school because of his running ability.

The death of Smokey Smith at age 91 on Wednesday marks the end of an era.

Like his hero Winston Churchill, the war vet whose impish smile charmed school children as far away as Italy, had a fondness for cigars. Legendary in the anecdote department, Smokey liked good Scotch and women the world over.

although legion branches in Canada, the United States and Europe lowered their flags to low mast in his memory yesterday, the flags were flying high on Parliament Hill.

"When Prime Minister Paul Martin has taken every opportunity to say how sorry he is for the loss of Ernest Smokey Smith, he fails to demonstrate the proper respect by issuing an order for flags to be lowered to half mast," said Hinton.

Canada's top soldier honoured his comrade in arms.

"Canada is what it is today due in no small part to sacrifices made by Smokey and other Canadian veterans," said Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of the defence staff.

Happy-go-lucky for the duration of his life, friends say Smokey had about as much spunk at age Smith 91 as he did at age 30 when he earned his Victoria Cross.

Canada has an appalling record in its treatment of war veterans. Canadian veterans who served in the Balkans are having to wait for up to five years for decisions to be made on their benefits.

"Once you take the uniform off, the door is closed," is the consensus of retired military personnel.

War veteran widows are dying off after waiting for pensions that never came.

It took an 11th-hour reprieve for the Canadian government to agree to pay just part of the traveling expenses of war veterans who wanted to attend the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day, and one official with Veteran affairs Canada suggested that the veterans could watch D-Day anniversary celebrations on television.

Hinton said yesterday that Prime Minister Paul Martin, who apparently has no shame when it comes to the Canadian government's treatment of war veterans, "should be ashamed".

On the same day Smokey Smith's death was announced, Martin announced that Michaëlle Jean, a Haitian-born television personality who appears on both CBC's English and French networks will become the 27th governor general of Canada, replacing former CBC journalist, Governor General adrienne Clarkson.

Meanwhile the snub of mere politicians could never diminish the memory of Canada's last surviving recipient of the Victoria Cross.

Rest in peace, Smokey Smith. You earned the rest of the courageous, and an indelible place in Canadian hearts and memory.


Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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