OTTAWA, Aug. 15, 2019 /CNW/ - Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, will take part in the rededication of the Kandahar Cenotaph located in the Afghanistan Memorial Hall at National Defence Headquarters (Carling) in Ottawa, on Saturday, August 17, 2019, at 11 a.m. The ceremony will recognize and pay tribute to the sacrifices of Canada's fallen serving in Afghanistan.
The ceremony will be streamed online via the Canadian Armed Forces' Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CanadianForces/.
A Brief History of the Kandahar Cenotaph
The cenotaph was unveiled in its earliest form on Remembrance Day, November 2003, at Camp Julien, the Canadian Armed Forces' encampment in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Designed by Combat Engineer Captain Sean McDowell, the cenotaph was initially dedicated to the first six Canadian soldiers lost during the Afghanistan mission: Private Richard Green, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Sergeant Marc Léger and Private Nathan Smith (all April 17, 2002); and Sergeant Robert Short and Corporal Robbie Beerenfenger (both October 2, 2003).
The cenotaph was placed to be in the view of successive mission commanders as a reminder of their profound responsibilities. It was relocated to the Kandahar Airfield in 2005, following the closure of Camp Julien, and was expanded over the years to include additional dedications to other fallen soldiers.
The cenotaph is now located at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.
For more information, visit http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en.
For media accreditation for the rededication ceremony,
please contact the Canadian Armed Forces Media Relations Office
at 613-996-2353 or [email protected].
Follow GGJuliePayette and RideauHall on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
SOURCE Governor General of Canada
Media information: Charles Anido, Rideau Hall Press Office, 343-548-1784 (cell), [email protected]
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