Afghanistan Memorial Vigil goes on display in Winnipeg
A travelling memorial honouring Canadians killed during the military mission in Afghanistan was unveiled in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
The Afghanistan Memorial Vigil opened at the Manitoba legislature during a solemn, private ceremony in front of some families of the fallen soldiers and other invited dignitaries.
Crafted from the recovered memorial plaques that were part of the cenotaph at the Kandahar Air Field — a coalition base during the war in Afghanistan — the memorial display focuses on fallen Canadians, including the 158 soldiers, a Canadian diplomat, contractor, journalist as well as 40 U.S. Armed Forces personnel attached to the Canadian Forces.
The original cenotaph was a memorial structure for Canadian soldiers to commemorate their fallen comrades while deployed in Afghanistan. The rest of the cenotaph is housed in a warehouse in Ottawa awaiting decision for a permanent home.
More than 39,000 Canadian Armed Forces members have served in Afghanistan or in support of the mission from other locations around the world during the past 12 years.
The display, which is travelling across Canada and the United States from May 4 until Nov. 12, will be at the legislature from Sept. 16-20. From Winnipeg, it will move east, eventually completing its cross-country journey in Ottawa during Remembrance Week.
It opens to the public in Winnipeg on Tuesday afternoon and will be available for viewing every day from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. from Sept. 17 to Sept. 20.
The intent is to allow as many Canadians, military and civilians, to view the vigil before a permanent home is selected for an Afghan Cenotaph in the Ottawa region.
