# Atten. all Op Athena troops. Did this actually happen?



## Franko (2 Mar 2004)

*To all my Canadian Friends on the Internet.* 

  I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 waiting for everyone to hurry and stow their carry-ons and grab a seat so we could start what I was  sure to be a long, uneventful flight home. With the huge capacity and slow moving people taking their time to stuff luggage far too big for the overhead and never paying much attention to holding up the growing line behind them, I simply shook my head knowing that this flight was not starting out very well. I was anxious to get home to see my loved ones so I was focused on "my" issues and just felt like standing up and yelling for some of these  clowns to get their act together.

 I knew I couldn‘t say a word so I  just thumbed thru the magazine from the seat pocket in front of me.  With everyone finally seated, we just sat there with the cabin door open and no one in any hurry to get us going although we were well past the scheduled take off time. "No wonder the airline industry is in trouble," I told myself. Just then, the attendant came on the intercom to inform us all that we were being delayed. The entire plane let out a collective groan. She resumed speaking to say "We are holding the aircraft for some very special people who are on their way to the plane and the delay shouldn‘t be more than 5 minutes." 

The word came after waiting six times as long as we were promised that I" was finally going to be on my way home. Why the hoopla over "these" folks? I was expecting some celebrity or sports figure to be the reason for the hold up......... Just get their butts in a seat and let‘s hit the gas I thought. 

The attendant came back on the speaker to announce in a loud and excited voice that we were being joined by *several Canadian soldiers returning home from Afghanistan!!!*

 Just as they walked on board, the entire plane erupted into applause. The men were a bit taken by surprise by the 340 people cheering for them as they searched for their seats. They were having their hands shook and touched by almost everyone who was within an arm‘s distance of them as they passed down the aisle. One elderly woman kissed the hand of one of the soldiers as he passed by her. The applause, whistles and cheering didn‘t stop for a long time. 

When we were finally airborne, "I" was not the only civilian checking his conscience as to the delays in "me" getting home, finding my easy chair, a cold beverage and the remote in my hand. These men had done for all of us and I had been complaining silently about "me"and "my"issues. I took for granted the everyday freedoms I enjoy and the conveniences of the Canadian way of life I took for granted others paid the price for my ability to moan and complain about a few minutes delay to "me" those Heroes going home to their loved ones.

I attempted to get my selfish outlook back in order and minutes before we landed I suggested to the attendant that she announce over the speaker a request for everyone to remain in their seats until our heroes were allowed to gather their things and be first off the plane. 

The cheers and applause continued until the last soldier stepped off and we all rose to go about our too often taken for granted everyday freedoms......... I felt proud of them. I felt it an honor and a privilege to be among the first to welcome them home and say "Thank You" for a job well done.

*So my question to all of the troops from Op Athena...did this actually happen or is this message full of.......*

Regards


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## bossi (2 Mar 2004)

No - this didn‘t happen to us - we came home via Herc and Airbus.  It‘s just somebody editing an American story to try and make it sound Canadian (sheeyah - right - as if a bunch of Air Canada passengers would react/think this way ...)

Here‘s the original version started appearing September 2003 (posted 1,765 times on the Internet, according to my MSN.com search):

I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 ... (and so on)

The attendant came back on the speaker to announce in a loud and excited voice that we were being joined by several U. S. Marines returning home from Iraq!!! ... etc. ... One elderly woman kissed the hand of one of the Marines as he passed by her. ... yadda, yadda, yadda ...

The cheers and applause continued until the last Marine stepped off and we all rose to go about our too often taken for granted everyday freedoms ... 

... and, of course ...

GOD BLESS AMERICA! WELCOME HOME!  AND THANKS FOR A JOB WELL DONE!!!!


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## Gunnar (2 Mar 2004)

> as if a bunch of Air Canada passengers would react/think this way ...)


I can‘t think of a better simile to express the total lack of interest of the Canadian public than to refer to them as "Air Canada Passengers".  It encompasses the ambivalence of the airline towards its human cargo, and the ambivalence of the human cargo to being *cargo* and not passengers.

Nice turn of phrase.


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## AlphaCharlie (2 Mar 2004)

Air Canada passengers would probably grumble about wasted tax dollars...


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## para (2 Mar 2004)

This could have happened about 7oo times during the tour , Guys coming home on leave. you minds ar vary narrow if you think that this "did not happen" Bossi you dropped the ball on this one.


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## Redeye (2 Mar 2004)

I‘m going to have to disagree though, para, since it‘s almost directly lifted from a commonly circulated email.  While it‘s not impossible, there are several clues that suggest it‘s not true, not the least of which being the lack of detail and precision about locations and places.  According to urban legend debunkers at snopes.com, that‘s a good sign that something‘s not right.

It‘s nice to think that people consider our soldiers that way, I don‘t think the sentiment is impossible, but the story itself is quite likely pure fiction.


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## Gunner (2 Mar 2004)

Gents,


I agree with para‘s sentiments.

I think Canadians are very proud of their military but just aren‘t very knowledgeable about it.  I remember during Op ASSISTANCE (Red River Flood) the people were very good to the deployed soldiers. Same as Op RECUPERATION in Quebec and in the heart of separatist country (St Jean).

Edmonton is very good to 1 CMBG particularly during 3 PPCLI combat operation in Afghanistan, roads were festered with yellow ribbons, adults and children lined the route to wave to them, and the city bent over backwards for the soldiers.  I particularly recall being at a bar when 3 PPCLI deployed and no word of a lie, other patrons bought us several jugs of beer and the tavern staff brought over some shooters.

I have been personnally thanked by hundreds of Canadians for my services to my country domestically and internationally. 

This level of support unfortunately doesn‘t always translate into dollars during budget time.  That doesn‘t mean they don‘t care about us, just don‘t understand us.

To quote the Commander of the Army:

"When a Canadian soldier walks on foreign hostile soil ...........all Canadians walk on foreign hostile soil. Canadian soldiers are our credentials."

Be cynical about the Canadian public if you want but what have you done to educate them?


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## devil39 (2 Mar 2004)

> Originally posted by Gunner:
> [qb] Gents,
> 
> 
> ...


What I can do to educate them is outside of my purview as a Reg.

What I have done to educate them is to serve their interests overseas, in some real ****holes.  We generally gain nothing by that.

Our wives and significant others, work miracles, just to line a route with yellow ribbons after something like APOLLO.  The average civilian, unless he lives in your neighbourhood, probably doesn‘t care.


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## Gunner (2 Mar 2004)

> What I can do to educate them is outside of my purview as a Reg.


Have you ever volunteered to be a speaker at a community service event, university or college, or even a high school?  

Not sure what rank you are Devil39 but let your chain of command know you are interested in speaking to external groups.  The PAff people are always looking for speakers.



> What I have done to educate them is to serve their interests overseas, in some real ****holes. We generally gain nothing by that.


I think you were with 3 PPCLI in Afghanistan during combat operations.  The news media was very complimentary on your performance.  Many people would love to hear what you have to say.



> Our wives and significant others, work miracles, just to line a route with yellow ribbons after something like APOLLO. The average civilian, unless he lives in your neighbourhood, probably doesn‘t care.


Remember that wasn‘t just our wives and girlfriends who did that, there were many civvie volunteers.  Not quite the same analogy but how many civvies care about a cop until they get pulled over for speeding or a fireman until their house is burning down.  How can you be interested if most deployments are well away from home and fed to you in 30 second sound bits on the evening news?


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## Sweetee (2 Mar 2004)

That‘s so true, many people don‘t know what is going on with the CF unless they are some how connected. 
I‘ve grown up in Canada my whole life yet was never really educated about it. However we are lucky if people want to know more they can find a lot of information these days.

I gotta say though even though I may not know much I couldn‘t be more proud of everyone out there. If I could thank everyone personally for what they are doing then I surely would


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## Korus (2 Mar 2004)

It depends on the crowd, obviously there are people who are more aware than others.

I‘m in Uni now, and as such you can guess the kind of people I encounter day to day. There‘s a few of us in the Militia, and some Reg Force ROTP, and we try to spread some awareness of the military, but for the most part there‘s not much known about us.

The weekend after Cpl Murphie was tragically killed, I was talking to someone about the operation in Afghanistan.. He thought Canada should pull out, as not much is happening there anymore. He also asked "And when was the last person killed in Afghanistan". I was shocked. My only response was "Tuesday" in a sharp tone.. And that‘s but one example of a general lack of knowledge.. That particular individual wasn‘t even anti-military like many of the people I encounter are..

Although I guess it has a lot to do with people generally not really caring about what‘s happening outside their own little world.


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## Sweetee (2 Mar 2004)

I also think it comes from a lack of information given to the general public. Since knowing someone now in Afghanistan if I tell someone he‘s there they often ask why...I reply with some information and they are often supportive however just don‘t know anything about it.

I‘ve noticed in the last couple weeks not one thing mentioned in Vancouver‘s newspapers...sure the media isn‘t always the best sorce of news but really it does let people know what‘s going on. Of course they seem to only give bad news though


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## Colin Parkinson (3 Mar 2004)

To give you an idea about how the news works here in Vancouver, the media reported lots about the shooting of two people in Gaza, but nothing a bout a major battle going on in Eygpt between the military and bandits in the middle of a town. The media here has agenda‘s.

Canadian are still clinging to the myth that all our soldiers are peacekeepers who spend all their time hugging childern and digging wells. Our media and governments seem to have decided that the reality of some of these mission is to much for our delicate senses, and the only time you hear about them is when something goes wrong or someone is killed.


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## bossi (3 Mar 2004)

Para,
With all due respect, here is why we know this is an urban legend (at least the Canadian version):

1.  This story has been posted at least 1,757 times on the Internet, starting as early as August 2003.

2.  HLTA for Op ATHENA didn‘t start that early.

3.  As pointed out, it has all the hallmarks of an "urban legend" (see  Snopes or Urban Legends for more info on that, if you don‘t believe us - the Snopes site specifically lists this one; the UrbanLegends site is broken so I couldn‘t search it properly).

So, again, with all due respect - no, I didn‘t drop the ball on this one.  I researched it carefully, presented the facts, and reached a logical conclusion - this story began circulating well before the Canadians began HLTA, and the Canadian version was copied word-for-word from the American version.  Therefore, we can safely say it was somebody‘s well-intentioned attempt to turn a nice American story into one for our own Canadian troops.  However, it simply wasn‘t true.

As for whether it ever actually happened in a similar fashion, let‘s think about this for a moment.  What airline in the world would make an announcement before takeoff that some passengers were soldiers returning from a theatre which pitted them against ... oh, I don‘t know ... people reknowned for suicide bombings ... ?  No - not even Air Canada would be that foolish.

So for a variety of reasons, as clearly articulated above and backed up with research you are more than welcome to duplicate, it‘s more than reasonable to say common sense indicates this was not a Canadian story in the first instance.

If you still disagree, that is your perogative, of course.  However, your suggestion that I dropped the ball is undeserved.

Redeye - thanks for your comments.

Devil39 - you‘d be amazed to find out how many REAL Canadians respect and support their Army faithfully, loyally and proudly - it‘s refreshing.

Oh, and "Gunner" - you said "Be cynical about the Canadian public if you want but what have you done to educate them?"
The War Diary is a good example - everybody here has volunteered their time to help educate others.  Some even use their real names as a demonstrable sign of their integrity.


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## wongskc (3 Mar 2004)

I can attest to the ignorance of Canadians regarding the military through my own personal ignorance:  I for one didn‘t even know what a Canadian uniform looked like until I joined cadets six years ago.  As well, all I have learned about Canada and its wartime history I have either gained through my own efforts or by taking very specialized courses in Uni (Canadian history is my minor).  Next to nothing is taught in high school.  Canadians are ambivilant towards the CF because they simply don‘t know any better.  I have made countless friends‘ jaws hit the ground just by telling them of the exploits of the Canadian Corps during the First World War.  Most of the time they can‘t believe that Canada was ever able to field such a large and lethal force.  It would be such a simple thing even to teach the battle honours of a particular regiment to students in an area (e.g. teach PPCLI history in edmonton, RHLI in Hamilton, etc.).  I‘m sure that would instil a great deal of pride in the general public and sew the seeds of better understanding of our military.


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## combat_medic (3 Mar 2004)

I initially joined the military in Edmonton, and anytime I was wearing my uniform I generally got a lot of positive responses, curious questions, and support from the people I encountered, even while in University.

When I moved to Vancouver, I got a BIG culture shock. Not only are the people here painfully uninformed about their country, they are blatantly anti-military. When I worked downtown, I would often take the bus to my armoury only a few blocks away, and I was subjected almost every week to some disparaging remark about the military. People would shout "baby killer" at me, or throw posters at me about the war in Iraq (more recently). I had a few people with some genuine interest, and I did my best to inform them about the military, and Canadian peacekeeping, but most are just ignorant and inflammatory.

Back East, where there‘s a lot more public support, I could see the Air Canada incident happening (although Bossi is right and it is an altered Urban Legend), but I doubt anyone in Vancouver would give up their seat, not to mention their self-absorption and conceit, to make way for a Canadian soldier.


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## Franko (3 Mar 2004)

Thanks Bossi and the rest for clearing up that mess...

The message smelled of poo big time...

I‘ll straighten this one out fast   

Regards


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## Gunner (3 Mar 2004)

> The War Diary is a good example - everybody here has volunteered their time to help educate others.


I know, that is why I have been doing my part for many years now.



> Some even use their real names as a demonstrable sign of their integrity.


Some people drink lite beer because it tastes less filling....


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## Bruce Monkhouse (3 Mar 2004)

....TASTES GREAT!!!!!........


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## bossi (3 Mar 2004)

"... less filling" ... less substance ... whatever


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## Gunner (3 Mar 2004)

> "... less filling" ... less substance ... whatever


You seem to want to make a point to me but you keep hiding behind half comments.  If you have a problem with something I say, tell me how you disagree with it and I will refute it.  Moreover, you have spoken of dignity yet you can not even adhere to the time honoured tradition of "what‘s said in the mess, stays in the mess".  

Cheers,


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## bossi (3 Mar 2004)

Dignity?  I could sworn I said "integrity".


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## devil39 (3 Mar 2004)

Bossi,

Sure there are many citizens who support us.  

Support is nice.  A more viable budget would be better.  If the Canadian people do not support us enough to hold the governments feet to the fire, the support becomes merely a nice sentiment.

A warm, fuzzy sentiment will not train soldiers.


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## Fishbone Jones (3 Mar 2004)

Keep urinating against the wall and eventually you‘ll wear a hole in it.

BTW
Privately, as an aside to an individual.(You know who) I‘ll do this cryptically and from the ...shadows.

Quote "****just rubbed me the wrong way so I had to give him a hard time". Unquote

Get over it, it‘s becoming childish and irritating


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## devil39 (3 Mar 2004)

Gunner,

Many people do get the message out.  I look at it somewhat as preaching to the converted.  

It is not unlike Jack Granatstein books.  Those who buy Dr. Granatstein‘s books are not those who need the education.

As I mentioned to Bossi above, complimentary is nice but if it does not translate into equipment and training, it is merely nice.


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## Infanteer (3 Mar 2004)

...and I have members commenting on my ability to make a fool out of myself here....


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## bossi (3 Mar 2004)

Well, getting back to the discussion of public support for the military ...

It‘s an excellent point - "warm and fuzzy" doesn‘t cut it - only a realistic budget will.

So what? (I‘m not being a smart aleck - I‘m just doing the old "estimate" thing-a-ma-bob ... chuckle!)

So what (1):  The government will only give the military the budget they need if they perceive public opinion as supporting it (grrr ... those smarmy little Liberal Party pukes and their polls ... grrr ... but, I digress ...).

So what (2):  Public opinion will only change if the public understand the situation adequately.

So what (3):  The public will only understand the situation if it‘s explained to them, truthfully and factually (as opposed to Liberal Party spin doctors manipulating the polls ... grrr ...)

So what (4):  It‘s a long, uphill battle but ... actions speak louder than words.  The Army commander sent a loud and clear signal that the Army was virtually "burnt out" by concurrent deployments to Bosnia and Afghanistan (also due to the current small size of the Army ...)

So what (5):  It‘s a step in the right direction.

yadda, yadda, yadda ...

I guess it gets back to the basic concept of "gung ho" - unity of effort, or ‘pulling together‘ - if everybody understands what the Army is trying to say, then the message will be overwhelming.

But, I‘m rambling ...
It‘s true - ‘warm and fuzzy‘ doesn‘t pay the rent, but ... it‘s the tip of the iceberg.
Whether we sit on our hands, or do something about it ... that‘s the "life or death" question ...


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