# Veteran Memorial Unveiling  Dissapointment



## Rocketryan (18 Sep 2006)

(Edited)I just realized the title should have been different.Thanks recce.

Although this happened Sunday, this is the only time I have had to write this.

On September 17Th in Toronto Ontario, One of the largest parades in Toronto history took place.

It was the Veteran Memorial Unveiling(Very Important)

Although I have no exact number..My CO told us that there was supposed to be about 1000 other CADETS. That does not include the Veterans, Regular Canadian Forces soldiers(Air,Army,and Navy),the Reserves(Air,Army,Navy), St. John Ambulance,Police Officers and many more which I could not see because the parade was that big.

The parade was 5km long(marching the whole way,with one break before Queen's Park) From the Fort York Armory to Queen's Park.

The march went pretty good[The Regular or Reserves looked TRUELY amazing(The kind of drill I wan't my Squadron to do)] 

Since the 2 Air Cadet Squadrons were a mix of many other squadrons,there was alot of different shoulder flashes.

However for Number 2 Squadron(The one I was in)I noticed something.
Some of the Ac's(or Recruits) were having alot of difficulty marching..but since they were new I tried to help them instead of criticize them(Discreetly since we were marching.Ie.Call out a cadence)

But then I noticed something else. Alot of Lac's the cadets who are usually Level 2..Were not marching or were not marching properly..So it made me think...Are Local Head Quarters (LHQ) teaching the new recruits enough drill?Are LHQ's teaching enough drill to level 2's and 3's??

Anyways after the 5km march we got to Queen's Park. Where the Unveiling Ceremony was taking place.Although the Air Cadets were far from the speakers..I managed to hear a few words about ranks and people..I know that there was an Admiral,A General(or 2)and the Premier of Ontario.

When the Major in charge gave command for us to stand at ease..he said be quiet.Not Please be quiet. Since there was no please..it was an order not a request

Then people started to talk.

I was completely shocked.. I see Ac's and Lac's talking amongst eachother...So while being as quiet as possible I started telling them to be quiet. Then of course.. they didn't listen.I was hoping the numerous Sgt's in the squadron would keep order but they didn't but they stayed quiet like good cadets.

Then I heard talking..I turn around and its 2 of the SENIORS from MY squadron.Since I knew them I got there attention and made the finger over lips gesture. The be quiet one. Then they pointed to there ranks.(There is a problem in my squadron with the seniors thinking their god)

So I was angry..but i knew that they just got promoted like 6 months earlier so I thought I would bring it to a F/Sgt or Warrant.Then I hear laughter(Loud)...It was one of the F/Sgt and a Sgt..from MY squadron again..none of the other seniors from other squadrons were talking.(My Warrant Officer was with Squadron 1 not 2)

I heard like 10 words of the whole Ceremony..I looked over at the regular forces...or reserves...Not a single head was turned..everyone was looking right at that ceremony. Listening to every word.

I felt ashamed of Air Cadets for the first time in since I joined.

So I ask:

Was anyone at that ceremony on Sunday?
Did anything like the above happen in the group of the parade?


And I wonder: 

Are cadets being taught drill anymore?
Are cadets being taught about RESPECT?Respect For Rank?Respect for the Veterans?Respect for a superior officer who just told you to be quiet?

(If this needs to be moved[I dont think it would really..] just move it i guess)

Also-The actual memorial is actually very well done. It depicts pre-world war 1,world war 1,world war 2,and peace operations and the cold war, all through very well done pictures.


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## Fishbone Jones (18 Sep 2006)

So, in fact, your post is not about the Memorial unveiling, but a thinly disguised rant about the lack of drill and discipline in the Cadets (again :).

If anyone else was there and wants to tell us about the actual parade and ceremony, I'll leave this open. Otherwise the lock and hasp come out.


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## Neill McKay (19 Sep 2006)

Rocketryan said:
			
		

> When the Major in charge gave command for us to stand at ease..he said be quiet.Not Please be quiet. Since there was no please..it was an order not a request



The "Please" is irrelevant; it would still have been an order, just a slightly more polite one.

I understand the frustration of having to watch people misbehave during parades.  I feel the same way about people who talk when the national anthem is being played, but they at least will often stop if I give them a good, hard, stare.  (Not recommended that you attempt this, or even the finger-over-lips gesture, with people of higher rank, though!)


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## Neill McKay (19 Sep 2006)

recceguy said:
			
		

> So, in fact, your post is not about the Memorial unveiling, but a thinly disguised rant about the lack of drill and discipline in the Cadets (again :).



Fair comment, though.  Is it possible to change the name of the thread?


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## Loachman (19 Sep 2006)

I was standing at Queen's Park on the north side of the loop in front of the steps and just east of the dais, so I was able to see everything.

I was not disappointed - quite the contrary as I was expecting to see all sorts of problems given the nature of the exercise, lack of practice (Hard to hold a full-scale dress rehearsal under the circumstances), and multiple players organizing various bits and pieces and plenty of confusion as a result (I was dealing with the air display aspect).

Drill, such as there was (pretty basic), was not brilliant overall. There were people out-of-step throughout every contingent but again, practice was probably non-existent for most people and for thiose mid-way between bands, and with all of the echos that there must have been between tall buildings, well, need I say more?

As skeptical as I was given my experience with one aspect of the planning, I was impressed with the overall effort - and the general public (a much bigger crowd than I expected) certainly seemed to be as well.

And that's what really counted here.

I appreciate your concerns regarding drill standards and discipline, but that's unfortunately not a new thing.

Keep YOUR standards high, push yourself to exceed them and the given standards, and you will hopefully be in a position to change things, at least in your own squadron.

In contrast, before this parade, I was at the CF College for the Battle of Britain Ceremony (400 Squadron parades up University to Gumby for this, but we got bumped this year so those of us not in the Big One went over there). 188 Sqn RC (Air) C provided the cenotaph sentries, a colour party, the band, and formed a guard. They were well-dressed and what little drill was performed was alright.


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## Fishbone Jones (19 Sep 2006)

We're not having ANOTHER thread on lack of disclipine and drill in Cadets. Actually, it is going to come down all together in a very short while, because this is exactly the same whine that has been hashed over and over, simply a different venue. No sense wasting bandwidth.
10....9....8....


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