Luncheon given in Honour of the Silver Cross Mother

Rideau Hall, Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I am pleased to welcome you to Rideau Hall on this very solemn day.

It is the occasion to remember all of the soldiers in their prime who gave their lives for freedom during the twentieth century, one of the bloodiest in our history.

But we cannot commemorate the sacrifices of the past without thinking of those being made today by so many soldiers, both women and men, who have left their parents, children, loved ones and friends behind to help people struggling under the yoke of violence, oppression and misery.

In September, I made my second trip to Afghanistan—General, I can never thank you enough for being at my side in Afghanistan—, where children at the Sayad Pacha School, a school we helped to build, told me their fondest dream is to stop living in fear of stepping on a landmine.

Security is the main concern for these children. They want the security to enjoy their childhood, as all of the world’s children should be able to do. They want the security to be able to get an education, the key to their development and their collective prosperity. They want the security to fulfill their dreams.

Our troops are risking everything to ensure a safe environment for these children and for all of the people of Afghanistan. Our troops are risking everything to promote their development.

We all know that stability, peace and freedom can never be taken for granted.

They must be built, often under the most difficult of conditions.

Moreover, they require many sacrifices.

We live so far away from the troubled regions of the world. It is sometimes hard for us to grasp the nature and scope of these sacrifices.

With our attention focused on our day-to-day concerns, we too often forget how fragile stability, peace and freedom are, and how important it is to work tirelessly to hold on to them.

We should, we must, do our solemn duty and take the time to remember on this day each year.

This day of remembrance allows us to share the burden of all the losses sustained and the sacrifices made. We think of all the grieving families, all the soldiers who never came home, all the women and men of the Forces who have been wounded in body and spirit, something we talk about all too seldom.

This day of remembrance also allows us to make a commitment, in their name, to building peace right here, right now, every day.

I am commander-in-chief, but I am also, as you know, a mother.

I cannot help but feel the infinite pain of all the mothers who have lost what was most precious to them, their child, who allow me to share their grief, and whom I have been privileged to join at the Trenton military base.

These women have shared their pain with me but have also told me how they respect the choice their child has made.

Mrs. Morley, you have agreed to be the Silver Cross Mother on behalf of all the mothers, parents, partners, children and loved ones who have had to experience such an ordeal. I was very moved by your extremely dignified words on television this morning. I also want to thank your daughter, Shannon, for being here with us today.

Mrs. Morley, your son Keith served with the 2^nd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Manitoba. He served in Bosnia twice and was on a mission in Afghanistan’s Panjwayi District as part of Canada’s military involvement in the International Security Assistance Force.

Rest assured that we will not forget him or his enormous sacrifice. Our presence here is a testament to our solidarity.

No, we will not forget. We will never forget.