With Remembrance Day 2021 upon us, Cliff Jamieson – HR Business Partner at SkyAlyne and veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces – offered to share some of his thoughts…
These days I’m known as Cliff, the HR Business Partner at SkyAlyne, but until recently, I was still known as LCol Jamieson.
Just over two years ago, I fully retired from the Canadian Army at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. I served for 42 years – 25 years in the Regular Force and the last 17 years in the Reserve Force while working in my civilian career. I served as an infantry officer and paratrooper throughout Canada and around the world, participating in tours of duty in Germany, Cyprus, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
With Remembrance Day upon us this week, I wanted to share a few thoughts.
Firstly, to all fellow veterans, I would like to thank you for your service. SkyAlyne has a fair number of veterans working here and I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to reach out to our veterans and thank them for their service.
Secondly, although we are still working through this pandemic, and it has seriously curtailed Remembrance Day services, I ask that you please pause for a few moments to remember our veterans on this day. Indeed, I will take some time on this day to remember names that hold a special meaning to me: Major Paeta Hess-Von Krudener, a former subordinate of mine who lost his life in a rocket attack while on UN duty in the Golan Heights; Captain Jim Decoste, a friend of mine, who lost his life while serving with the UN Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia; Sergeant Ralph, also while serving in the former Yugoslavia, who lost his life when his vehicle drove over a tank mine, just a few miles from where I was working; and Master Corporal Greff who lost his life in an insurgent attack in Afghanistan – at a spot where I had been only a few hours before.
For these soldiers and countless more, I ask that you please take a moment on November 11th to remember their service and sacrifices. I also ask that you please spare a moment of thought for those who still serve and put themselves at risk for our safety and security every day.
Lest we forget.
Thank you.
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