cpl-cirillo-deserves-highways-of-heroes-journey

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By Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun

First posted: Thursday, October 23, 2014 08:32 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, October 24, 2014 08:35 AM EDT

OTTAWA - Cpl. Nathan Cirillo’s young son needs to know Canada appreciates his dad’s sacrifice.
His name will forever be linked to Canada’s National War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

And hopefully a trip along the Highway of Heroes will be part of his legacy, too.

It would be fitting since he is the latest Canadian soldier to sacrifice his life for all of us.

Nothing is finalized but it sure would be extra special if the 24-year-old travels along the route immortalized by 158 troops — with an extension all the way to his home in Hamilton.

It would be a good way for Canadians to say thank you for his service and sacrifice. If possible, the first fallen soldier in the war on ISIS, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, could take the same route.
They embody what the Highway of Heroes is all about and each bridge on the route would be packed.
With or without a journey home along the Highway of Heroes, Canadians will not forget either man.
And the first indication of that is on display here, where a shrine is rapidly growing just steps from where Cirillo was gutlessly ambushed.

Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino said this in Parliament Thursday:

“Mr. Speaker, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a very short distance from this very place. Cpl. Nathan Cirillo stood with the strength and determination of his regiment on guard for our most sacred place of remembrance. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will now and forevermore be guarded under the watchful eyes of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who remains at his post.”

Well said.

But there are still people out there trying to downplay what happened here. Trying to minimize the reality.

The most egregious words came from American entertainer Rosie O’Donnell on The View.
A debate ensued about such shooters often being mental health patients and not really terrorists.
“I get it,” O’Donnell said Thursday, backing up others who think all the coverage and attention is an overreaction. “But 86 people a day are killed in America with guns, and you know what? That is terrorism here.”

O’Donnell said people are saying, “I’m an American, I live here. I see two people shot this week in Canada and the entire country of Canada is in mourning. However, in America this happens on a daily day basis and we don’t even pay attention anymore.”

She is entitled to her opinion, for sure, in a free society given to us by fallen soldiers.
But the people trying to downplay this slaughter as a routine murder do a disservice to those who were killed in the line of duty.

They hate the word terrorism. But the facts are these were terror acts, plain and simple.
It’s almost like some want to re-victimize these fallen heroes.

Meanwhile, a recap for O’Donnell will show this terrorist stormed our Parliament and tried to kill our prime minister and our cabinet.

That is what happened and that is not a matter-of-fact day.

“In a lot of ways we were very lucky,” said Sen. Bob Runciman, who was very close to the door where the shots rang out. “This could have easily been worse. If he had got a few feet further he would have been facing the prime minister. We lost a soldier in this and we will never forget it and also count our blessings there weren’t more killed.”

Fantino said he was surprised by O’Donnell’s comments, since this is a country that is grieving.
“Under the circumstances, her uninformed comments don’t merit the dignity of a response other than to say this country did lose two fine men in uniform and a whole lot of innocence,” Fantino said.
We are not going to get that innocence back or those two fallen servicemen.

But if there is a procession along the Highway of Heroes, it would at least give Canadians a chance to let the families know how much we appreciate Cirillo and Vincent.

And to let a young son know his dad was a special Canadian.