Their names 'live on': 2020's military dead join Canada's books of remembrance on anniversary of Cyclone crash - Action News
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Their names 'live on': 2020's military dead join Canada's books of remembrance on anniversary of Cyclone crash

Thanks to the pandemic, Canadians can't visit in person the nation's Books of Remembrance, where the names of those who died serving this country are recorded. But those who lost their lives during the past year are not being forgotten.

Military's official calligrapher added names of Cyclone crash victims and officer killed in Snowbird crash

victims of crash
The crew of the CH-148 Cyclone that crashed off the coast of Greece a year ago, clockwise from top left: Capt. Kevin Hagen, Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough, Capt. Brenden Ian MacDonald, Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins, Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke, Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin. (Department of National Defence)

Richard Draffin, a former soldier turned calligrapher, has a ritual he follows each time hecompletes an entry in one ofCanada's books of remembrance.

Once the ink is dry, he runs his fingertips over the name of the fallen soldier, sailor or aircrew member a gentle, personal tribute to a life cutshort.

This past winter,Draffin added the names of the six aircrew and sailors killed one year ago today in the tragic crash of a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter in the Ionian Seaoff Greece.

He also recordedthe name of the military public affairs officerkilled last spring in the crash of a CT-114 Tutor Snowbird demonstration jet.

"If you run your fingers over it softly, you can feel the ink," said Draffin, who served for 28 years in the military. After retiring, he starteda new career as the contract calligrapher maintaining the bookswhichrecord the names ofthose whodied in Canada's service.

Richard Draffin a former soldier, now a calligrapher with Veterans Affairs updates the Book of Remembrance, where the names of Canada's war dead and those who died serving their country during peacetime are recorded. (Contributed/Veterans Affairs Canada)

For Draffin, the work is personal. His grandfather's name is recorded in the First World War book of remembrance;he knowsthe kind of closure that comes with seeing a loved one's name given over to history.

"It is letting that ... name live on," he said. "It's part of history. It's part of us."

Draffin said he tries to learn a littleabout every individual whose namehe adds to the books of remembrance.

"There is a family behind each one of them," he said. "It just sort of gives me a personal connection to it."

A veteran from Legion 110 from Trenton unravels Canadian flags for the flag party before the repatriation service for the six Canadian Forces members killed in the Cyclone crash off Greece at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. (Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press)

So it was with the crew of the Cyclone that crashed off the Greek coast:Capt. Brenden Ian MacDonald, Capt. Kevin Hagen, Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin, Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke, Master-Cpl. Matthew Cousinsand Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough.

An investigation into the crash thatclaimed their lives is still ongoing, but a preliminary flight safety investigation, released weeks after the accident, said the aircraft did not respond the way the crew had expected during a high-speed flypast of its home ship, HMCS Fredericton.

A smiling woman in a red jumpsuit stands in front of a Snowbird training plane.
Jenn Casey was a public affairs officer with the Snowbirds. (Royal Canadian Air Force)

As he was adding the Cyclone crew to the list,Draffin also added the name of Capt. Jenn Casey, of 431 AirDemonstration Squadron, tothe book set aside for those who died serving Canada.

There are eight books of remembrance in total, encompassing Canada's major wars including the War of 1812 as well as its peacekeeping and Cold War casualties.

In normaltimes they would be ondisplayin the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. With Centre Block closed for renovations, and with the pandemic barring visitors fromtheirnew temporary home in Parliament's West Block, the books like somany things these days can be accessed onlyonline.

Veteran Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay said the tragedy last year and the loss of life among so many young service members touched him deeply.

He said he looks forward to seeing the books go back on public display.

"When you go into that room and look at these books, it is so humbling to see the names," MacAulay said. "It's absolutely vital these names remain on display so that their memory is never lost."