Canada’s new pro-military Day of Honour comes weeks before Canadian Armed Forces Day

A newly-announced national day of celebration to be held this spring to commemorate Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan sure sounds a lot like another Canadian military celebration to be held less than a month later.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Tuesday the creation of a “National Day of Honour” to commemorate Canada's now-concluded military mission in Afghanistan. The day will be held on May 9, 2014, and feature a parade, a moment of silence and, most importantly, a vocal declaration of support for Canada’s Armed Forces.

From the outset, is sounds a great deal like Canadian Armed Forces Day, held at the start of June every year. It is an event that is routinely marked with small parades and even the occasional air show. In short, it is the annual, less-glossy version of the newly-minted National Day of Honour.

The announcement that Canada would hold a National Day of Honour came as the last batch of soldiers returned to Canadian soil on Tuesday, landing in Ottawa to be met by politicians, a cheering crowd and overjoyed loved ones.

More than 40,000 Canadians served in Afghanistan during the country's 12-year presence, which began in October 2001 as a military offensive and transitioned toward assisting and training Afghan military in later years.

"Sadly, many Canadians made the ultimate sacrifice for these goals and many others were injured carrying out their duties. We owe them and their families a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid," Harper stated on Tuesday.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my deepest thanks to all those who served in Afghanistan with such distinction and honour, to protect our own freedom and the freedom of others.”

[ Related: Harper welcomes troops home from Afghanistan, declares May 9 a day of honour ]

When the last cadre of soldiers left Afghanistan last week, formally ending Canada’s presence in the country, several provinces and cities lowered flags in recognition of the mission. Other provinces told Yahoo Canada News they would likely commemorate the end of the mission at a later date.

A recent survey found that there was little desire to be reminded of the war in Afghanistan. Indeed, 42 per cent of respondents to the Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey weren’t aware the Canadian military was still in Afghanistan in February.

The military itself appears to be cognizant of the dangers of over-celebrating its Afghanistan mission. CBC News reported that obtained documents suggest military brass shot down the idea of commemorating the mission during Canada Day celebrations on July 1.

While celebrating Canadian military is a worthy endeavor, members of the public were quick to suggest the government had political motivations for trumpeting the end of Afghanistan mission. The Conservatives Party of Canada has long been considered the most pro-military party in Ottawa, yet a series of missteps has recently strained its relationship with veterans.

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Canadians took to Twitter to remind Harper that a National Day of Honour would not make up for perceived failure to address the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder in Canadian veterans, or a conflict between Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino and a group of veterans lobbying against office closures.

Others were quick to point out that Canada already celebrates its military history on Remembrance Day. In many provinces, November 11 is held as a public holiday. More to the point, the first Sunday of June is also Canadian Armed Forces Day, less than a month after this year’s National Day of Honour.

It’s great to commemorate the Afghanistan mission, most specifically its conclusion. But with concerns of blow back to a perceived cultural militarization, and a military celebration already on the books a few weeks later, it seems a more measured approach could have been taken to this National Day of Honour.

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