November 11th is Every day for me

November 11th used to be a happy day. You know what, November 11th 1999 was when I got to my regiment. That’s when I joined the Regular Forces. So it used to be happy, I used to love going to see the old Veteran guys and having drinks with them and listen to them talk. And then it became so real for me after my deployments that I had people I know that never came back, I had friends that never came back. So for me Remembrance Day I don’t go to the parades I go to a friend’s grave and we sit and have a drink. I tell my kid’s stories. I will sit there with him for a couple of hours.

I have a flag with a lot of guys that I know in my unit that were killed. I have their pictures on my flag. It’s our unit flag and I never took it here with me because I didn’t think I would be sitting in this chair but this flag goes everywhere I go. Very fortunate to do the things I do with like Soldier On, Invictus and True Patriot Love foundation so this flag goes everywhere I go and I take it out and I show everyone that these are my friends. These guys were killed so that we can do what we’re doing and I don’t want you to forget them. I have ran the Army Run in Ottawa with the flag. I went to Nepal just a few months ago in April. We went mountain climbing. We went to Mount Everest. I carried the flag over there. I have pictures of the flag taken with Peter Hillary, Sir Edmund Hillary’s son on top of Kalibata Mountain which is over 5000 metres, Lhotse Mountain which is over 6000 metres. Remembrance Day is every day for me. It’s not just one day. So that flag has been everywhere with me. Everywhere I go I take it with me so that’s how I remember but on the day itself that’s what I do, you can find me sitting at Jimmy’s grave and just chat.