AFP/AAC Newsletter #28 - Bilingual/Bilingue

Armed Forces Pensioners’ / Annuitants’ Association of Canada Issue #28 • November 2017 4 W hen the Royal Canadian Mint issued a one ounce (28 gram) silver collector coin in May 2017 as part of its Second World War battlefront series, it made an error that prompted out- cry from a New Brunswick veterans group. Bearing an image of a sol- dier rushing ashore with explosions in the distance, the commemorative coin was given the label the ‘Bat- tle of Dieppe’ instead of its proper name, the ‘Dieppe Raid’. Those who object to the error says that the 913 Canadians who died on the beaches of Dieppe during the raid are being misrepresented in history. It’s more than just semantics, according to Keith Brewer, executive director of the Dieppe Military Vet- erans’ Association, who is concerned that history will be changed forever if the error is allowed to stand. As he has explained, a battle involves taking ground and trying to hold it, as happened at Vimy Ridge. A raid, by contrast, is a tactical manoeuvre not typically designed to capture and hold terrain, but rather to accom- plish a specific mission and retreat to safety before the enemy can mount an effective response. A spokesperson for the Mint said it consulted with the Department of National Defence’s history and heritage directorate to confirm the accuracy of the coin before pro- ducing the commemorative item. It is a claim which is disputed by the Dieppe Veterans’ group, who note that the Canadian War Museum and Veterans Affairs Canada both refer to the Allied attack on the French port city as the Dieppe Raid. Although the veterans’ group urged the Mint to recall the existing coin and reissue it with the correct name, the Mint declined, as a num- ber of the 7,500 coins produced had already been sold. In July, the Mint said it understands the concerns expressed by the veterans’ group and apologized if the coin offended anyone. The Crown Corporation also announced plans to produce a Dieppe Raid collector coin in 2018 and stated that it will review the design with the New Brunswick veterans’ group prior to the coin being minted. Brewer expressed hope that the new Dieppe Raid coin will offset the impact of the errone- ous coin. Veterans protecting history with protest over Royal Canadian Mint commemorative coin A new fund was established this year to provide student bursa- ries to the children of disabled Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police veterans as well as emergency funding to veterans and their families in times of need. The Veterans Benevolent Fund (VBF) has been specifical- ly created to address shortfalls in the available support offered by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) for post-secondary education or emergencies. In the normal course of events, military personnel who have sustained service-related injuries are provided immediate care and support through existing federal government funding provisions. Most of these injured will recu- perate and continue to serve in the military or RCMP, however, some will be forced to retire due to the severity and permanence of their injury-related disabilities. Compounding their difficulties is the fact that it will be difficult for them to find civilian employment. While DND and VAC do pro- vide disability support to veterans, it is important to note that the amount of money disbursed by DND is determined by the in- come the veteran was receiving at the time of his/her release from service. It is a sad reality that the majority of those injured in the line of duty are junior in rank (and corresponding income) and therefore receive a comparatively small monthly pension. In many cases, these disabled veterans are leaving the service at the same time that their children are about to embark on post-secondary education, resulting in a finan- cial crisis for the family. Another pressing issue is the fact that once retired from service, veterans gen- erally no longer have the ability to access military benevolent funds or emergency support from their regimental family. This November, up to three bursaries of $2000 each may be awarded and applications will open again in 2018. Assistance is not based on academic achieve- ment, but financial need. For more information about the Veterans Benevolent Fund, please visit www.vbfcanada.com New Veterans Benevolent Fund Established AFP/AAC P.O. Box 370, Renfrew, ON K7V 4A6 Phone: 613-432-9491 Email: executivedirector@afpaac.ca Website: www.afpaac.ca