O CANADA: Participants form a Canadian flag on a soccer
field at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown on Friday as part
of a rally for troops leaving for Afghanistan next week.
Posted on 01/20/2007 10:40:09 AM PST by GMMAC
Rally supported our troops by forming a giant flag
The Daily Gleaner, page A1
Saturday January 20th, 2007
(Fredricton, New Brunswick)
By MICHAEL STAPLES
It was a historic day at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown on Friday as thousands of people gathered to support 1,150 soldiers leaving for Afghanistan next week.
Oromocto's Compton family was among the crowd who formed a human Canadian flag at the rally. The rally was the first of its kind in Canada.
Despite Friday's snowstorm, Danny and Lisa Compton, along with their daughter, Jennesa, 12, and son, Brighton, 3, made sure they were on base early enough to be part of the human flag.
O CANADA: Participants form a Canadian flag on a soccer
field at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown on Friday as part
of a rally for troops leaving for Afghanistan next week.
"It's important to show support for your peers," said Capt. Lisa Compton, a nurse at CFB Gagetown. "It's important to show support for the families that are staying behind. Even though we're not going overseas, it's a big team and you have to show everybody that you're behind them."
More than 3,000 people packed, squeezed and crammed together on a snow-covered soccer field across from the base gym to create the human flag, which measured 90 metres by 45 metres.
The effort was part of Red Rally Friday, an event that attracted people from all over New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada.
Because of the snow, the turnout was less than the 5,000 organizers had expected.
It was also due to 1,000 school children who couldn't be bused to the location because of the decision earlier in the day to close schools.
But that didn't dampen the Comptons' enthusiasm.
"It was great to see everybody come and show their support for the troops," Lisa Compton said. "The atmosphere was great. It was exciting. It was good to see that everybody had such good spirit and that, here in Oromocto and the surrounding area, we can be so patriotic."
Within the next year, said Compton, either she or her husband will likely be making the trip to Afghanistan.
Sgt. Danny Compton, with the artillery branch of the Forces, said he was impressed by the turnout.
"I think the community has come together and they're doing great things for the troops."
The Daily Gleaner/David Smith photo
SHE'LL MISS HIM: Two-year-old Kassey Anderson
was hanging on tight to her father Sgt. Ron Anderson
at Red Rally Friday at CFB Gagetown.
Jenessa Compton, a student at Harold Peterson Middle School, said half of her school wears red on Fridays and most students are well aware of what the Afghanistan mission is about.
"A lot of my friends have parents that are going and are kind of sad," she said.
Nasonworth's Tracy Price said her husband, Master Cpl. Mark Price, is going to Afghanistan next week. She said there was no question where she wanted to be on Friday.
"These guys, the troops, are going to Afghanistan and braving terrorists - suicide bombers - and I thought the least I could do was to brave the snow," said Price. "It's my husband going, my husband's friends going."
Price, who was part of the human flag, said she thought it was a fantastic idea.
Col. Ryan Jestin, the commander of CFB Gagetown, was also part of the flag.
"I made sure I was at the top part of the maple leaf," Jestin said. "People had been standing out there for the better part of an hour and a half getting ready ... and it just all came together. It was an awesome atmosphere. It was incredible."
Jestin was joined by Harold Perrin, the president of the Royal Canadian Legion's Oromocto branch. Perrin said he wouldn't have missed the event for anything.
"I know what these people are going through because we went through it ourselves. Our legion is 100 per cent behind our military and the Armed Forces."
Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said Friday was a proud day to be a Canadian and was as much of a celebration as it was a farewell. He pledged to continue supporting the mission and the troops.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier said the rally in red was a visible means of communities showing support for the soldiers.
"Equally, it is a tangible sign of support for those families who are left here in Canada and who also carry a very heavy burden on their shoulders," Hillier said in an interview.
PING!
Thanks for posting.
Well done, Canada.
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Heartwarming.
I've never heard of Jack and Jacque either. Kindly enlighten us, if you would.
Good to know there are many great people left in Canada.
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That is the most beautiful Canadian Flag I have ever seen!
Thanks for posting this, GMMAC.
Indeed! Woo-Hoo!
Thanks for thinking of me.
Well now, that sure is nice and glad to see the support.
Thank you for the ping fanfan.
The Daily Gleaner/David Smith photo
SHE'LL MISS HIM: Two-year-old Kassey Anderson
was hanging on tight to her father Sgt. Ron Anderson
at Red Rally Friday at CFB Gagetown.
Thanks for posting this ! I wish I could've been there.
That's beautiful, Sandrat!
Thanks for posting it!
CFB Gagetown ... just (30 min) down the road from me. I wish I could have been there.
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