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Remembrance Dog Tags - Buffalo Nine

Aim

To increase youth awareness of nine Canadian Armed Forces members who lost their lives on 9 August 1974 and the sacrifices of our country’s peacekeepers over the years.

*Important note

Some of the information shared in this lesson plan includes details about tragic events that may be upsetting for some people. Please review the content to gauge if resources about the Buffalo 9 tragedy are appropriate to use in your classroom.

Objectives

Through this activity, youth will:

  • learn about the history of the loss of the “Buffalo Nine” aircraft on 9 August 1974
  • learn that August 9 is now observed as “National Peacekeepers’ Day” in Canada
  • learn more about military “dog tags”

Target Audience

This activity is aimed at youth 12 to 18 years old.

Activity sequence

  • Introductory discussion
  • Research and preparation
  • Presentations
  • Wrap-up discussion
  • Optional extension activities

Materials

Introductory discussion

Tell your students that today’s remembrance dog tags lesson focuses on nine Canadian Armed Forces members who died in an attack on their United Nations transport plane in the Middle East.

The “Buffalo Nine” tragedy happened on 9 August 1974. The chain of events that led to this fateful day can be complex to understand. To help students grasp the context, have them read the article Remembering the “Buffalo Nine” (Department of National Defence website).

To further their comprehension, they can also explore the article The Buffalo Nine (Valour Canada website).

You may ask a few comprehension questions like:

  • Why was the United Nations in this part of the Middle East in 1974?
  • Why was the flight route between Ismailia and Damascus not a straight path?

You can show a map of the area and locate important places identified in the two articles, such as:

  • Cairo, Egypt (the crew members of the Buffalo transport plane were based there at Camp Shams)
  • Ismailia, Egypt (Departure point of UN Flight 51)
  • Beirut, Lebanon (stopover point of UN Flight 51)
  • Damascus, Syria (Destination of UN Flight 51)

Explain to students that they will research one of the nine Canadian Armed Forces members who were on board UN Flight 51 when it was shot down in August 1974.

What is a military dog tag?

Ask the students if they know what a military dog tag is. Have they ever seen one?

A dog tag is a piece of formal identification military personnel must wear while on duty. It is used to identify them if they die or are wounded while on the job.

The term “dog tag” comes from its similarity to the tags used to identify dogs. Officially, it is called an “identity disc” or “ID tag.” The tag bears key information about the person wearing it. This includes their name, rank, service number and blood type. It also includes religion, so the appropriate clergy person is called in case of injury or death.

Canadian troops have worn these tags since the First World War. Canadian identification tags are now breakable into two pieces. Should a person die, one piece stays with the deceased and the Department of National Defence keeps the other piece of the tag.

Click on these links to see images of some military dog tags:

Remembrance dog tags help youth to “put a face on remembrance.” In the context of this learning activity, these tags help youth to remember the nine Canadian Armed Force members who died on 9 August 1974.

Research and preparation

Using card-stock paper, print the remembrance dog tags of nine Canadian Armed Forces members who died on 9 August 1974 (PDF).

  • Cut out each dog tag. Laminate them if you would like to reuse them.
  • Punch two holes in each of the dog tags and insert a piece of string or a metal chain through the holes.
  • Hand out the dog tags.
  • Have students research the individuals using the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Ask students to add the service number and age of the individual to the dog tag.
  • Encourage students to search online for more information about the person on their dog tag. They can enrich their presentations with their findings, such as information about the person’s hometown, where they enlisted, the places they served, the circumstance of their death and where the person is buried.

Researching tips

The Canadian Virtual War Memorial is a registry of more than 120,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served and died for their country. It contains digitized photographs and personal memorabilia. It honours and remembers those who served and died in military uniform.

Researching an individual who died after the Second World War is sometimes challenging. Students may find online searches for relevant publicly-available information, such as newspaper websites, their best approach. Official sources of personal information, like Library and Archives Canada, are generally not accessible due to privacy legislation. A minimum number of years must have passed before their military records are made public.

Presentations

Ask each student to present information on the person they researched.

Wrap-up discussion

Lead a discussion on the remembrance dog tag activity. Explore questions like:

  • Why did Canada choose August 9 to mark “National Peacekeepers’ Day”?
  • August 9 is outside of the usual school year. Should schools or students simply forget to mark National Peacekeepers’ Day? Please explain.
  • What are things we can do to show that we remember those who died in military service to Canada?
  • What about recognizing service members who returned to Canada and became Veterans? How can we thank them for their service?

Optional extension activities

1. Have students look at the painting "Canada Pays the Price" by Geoff Bennett. This painting is part of the collection of the National Air Force Museum of Canada.

Based on the information they learned in this lesson plan, have students explain what’s seen in this work of art.

Buffalo Nine

2. There are memorials and monuments dedicated to the Buffalo Nine tragedy. Browse the following examples found on the Veterans Affairs Canada website to learn more or plan a visit:

What kind of memorial to the Buffalo Nine would you create for your own school?

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