Soldier recalls war as Afghanistan plaque added to Saskatoon city cenotaph

Ramsay Bellisle says he tried his best to explain to his two children why it was important that he went to Afghanistan.

His son and daughter, aged nine and 11 at the time, had already been to funerals of friends who were fallen soldiers.

"I hope I did a good job," said Bellisle, who is a Chief Warrant Officer and the Regimental Sgt.-Maj.for the North Saskatchewan Regiment.

"Did they understand why we were going or what'sgoing on at the time? I believe I did my best to try to explain it to them."

Bellisle deployed in 2009

Bellisle was part of a parade of Canadian Armed Forces members at the unveiling of the new plaque at city hall, which was erected Saturday in recognition of the service of soldiersin Afghanistan.

Bellisle was deployed in a provincial reconstruction team that worked out of Kandahar city from October, 2009 to May, 2010.

He said it's difficult to explain the sensory memories he has of his deployment to Afghanistan the heat, the dust, the smells to people here in Canada.

Bellislestressedthat his experience therewas not as harrowing as it was for others. But the reality that he was in a war meant the regiment had to be prepared for anything.

Family involvement

Bellisle's wife was also a warrant officer with the North Saskatchewan Regiment back in Canada.

"She was always part of the group as a 'rear party', ready that if something had happened to us to make sure that either, if we were wounded we were being taken care of," he said.

"Or, if we had died all those kind of measures were being taken care of."

He hopes that when Saskatoon residents walk past the new Afghanistan plaque on the city cenotaph, they will take a moment to reflect on the four members of his regiment that were killed during the war.

'Yes we did serve'

A total 158 Canadian soldiers were killed, including four from the North Saskatchewan Regiment.

The regiment, based primarily in Saskatoon, sent more than 20 per cent of its troops to various units in Afghanistan during the conflict.

Earlier in the year, city council approved an application from the regiment to add the plaque to the cenotaph.

"It's a place to recognize that yes we did serve, it was a war, and a way of remembering our service," said Bellisle.

Tribute gunhots were fired at the Saturday ceremony in honour of the North Saskatchewan Regimentsoldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Saskatoon had 'out-sized' impact for population

Lt. Joe Young, who also took part in the parade, said the unveiling of the plaque was a powerful moment for those who served abroad.

"I would say that Saskatoon has had an outsized impact on operations both domestically and abroad," said Young.

"We've sent more than our fair share of soldiers to represent Canada and Saskatoon.

"I think percentage and per capita-wise, we have over-committed our members, there's a high representation within Saskatoon of members who have served overseas."

Lt.-Col.Tom Mykytiuk said it is a way to communicate the significant contributions the regimenthas made to the war, and the sacrifice of families and the soldiers.

Timing is right: commanding officer

"We stressed getting the plaque put on the cenotaph because we have in our unit serving soldiers who served in Afghanistan so we have living veterans," said Mykytiuk.

"If we waited too long, if you waited 20 years or something to that effect, I think you lose some of its resonance with members in the unit because here we have all personal connections to this plaque and to these friends we lost."

The cenotaph was built to commemorate the First World War in 1928. Since then, additions have been made to commemorate the Second World War and the Korean War.

Mayor Charlie Clark told the crowd that city council supports the plaque dedication because it recognizes the sacrifice of military members.

"I think when we live in a city like Saskatoon, with a sense of peace and security and safetythat we have when we go about our daily lives, it's easy to sometimes forget what our military members are doing on our behalf in those parts of the world where that safety and security doesn't exist and .. the sacrifices that go along with that," he said.