A monument unveiled Sunday is a fitting tribute to Canada’s involvement in the Afghanistan War, a man whose son was killed while fighting the Taliban says.
“It’s a nice testament to the courage, spirit and resolve that our soldiers displayed,” Jim Seggie said.
Cpl. Mike Seggie, who was from Winnipeg, was killed in a firefight in September 2008. The elder Seggie remembers his son as a good, fun-loving person who was committed to his country.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
Sunday’s event was the last of 33 LAV III ceremonies held across Canada in the past decade.
“He went to Afghanistan because his friends were going, and he wouldn’t be left behind,” Jim Seggie said.
Seggie spoke at the unveiling ceremony at the Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC, MC Armoury on Machray Avenue.
A third generation light-armoured vehicle (LAV III) was installed to honour the 40,000 Canadian soldiers who served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014, including the 158 who died.
Mike Seggie is one of seven soldiers from Manitoba who lost their lives.
The ceremony was important to Timothy Yakabowich, who travelled from his home, near Brandon, to attend. Yakabowich served with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry for 22 years and said he did six tours overseas, including one in Afghanistan in 2006.
“It can be like one of Canada’s forgotten wars, and the younger generation, I feel, tends to forget (about) the time that we served and the sacrifices that happened,” Yakabowich told the Free Press the day before the ceremony.
The new monument is an important reminder, he added.
“It just gives our future generations a time to reflect on our proud history and everything that came at a price,” Yakabowich said.
Sunday’s event was the last of 33 LAV III ceremonies held across Canada in the past decade.
The Department of National Defence and Canada Company, a charity devoted to supporting Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and their families, launched the program in late 2014.
Marie Claire Ouellette, a retired lieutenant-colonel and managing director of Canada Company, noted during the ceremony that the LAV III was built by Canadians to protect Canadians. It became known as “the workhorse of the Canadian Army.”
“It now returns to your community in the form of a monument to honour your local veterans and our nation’s fallen,” Ouellette said. “It will symbolize the completion of the latest chapter in Canada’s military legacy while encouraging a stronger connection between the citizens of your community and our veterans. It will provide a symbolic gathering place to reflect upon their service and sacrifice delivered to protect our way of life and freedoms.”
The federal government donated the decommissioned and demilitarized LAV IIIs to the program. The monuments were built in London, Ont., by Militex Coating Inc. with the help of Fanshawe College welding students, who earned course credits for their efforts.
The Fort Garry Horse Foundation, which is based at the armoury on Machray Avenue, raised about $75,000 to have the monument installed. A commemorative plaque will be added to the display in the coming weeks.
Canada’s involvement in the Afghanistan War began in October 2001 when the country joined efforts to topple the Taliban regime after the 9/11 attacks. It was the largest deployment of the Canadian military since the Second World War. Canada’s military presence in the country ended in March 2014.
“In Afghanistan, our Canadian soldiers did not take the easy job,” Bob Williams, president of the Fort Garry Horse Foundation said. “When I asked the Afghanistan vets what was accomplished, they consistently said the same answer: ‘We, Canada, did our duty when called upon, and usually much more than that.’”
The soldiers who died made the supreme sacrifice, he added.
“When we pass this LAV, we have the opportunity to give it a nod of respect,” Williams said.
The LAV III joins two other vehicles — a Sherman tank and a Lynx reconnaissance vehicle — in Martin Park, which commemorates the service of Canada’s soldiers.
The park is located at the corner of McGregor Street and Cathedral Avenue and attached to the armoury.
aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca
Aaron Epp
Reporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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