Canadian Mercenaries

While Canadians a few months ago were contemplating erecting a bronze memorial to American Draft-dodgers and Deserters, what are their feelings about the Canadian citizens who fought with the Americans in Vietnam, to whom they have never given any positive recognition? "Mercenaries" is the operative word. Pundit Ann Coulter is being trashed because she told the Canadians "Canada sent troops to Vietnam". From my research on the subject, I am becoming more enlightened. I believe that Canadians object to the word "troops", as they consider that their young countrymen who were drafted or signed on were"mercenaries".

November 11: Remembering Canada's Role in the Vietnam War
by Robin Collins, Peace and Environment News", November 11th, 1992
"The idea of Canadian complicity in the Vietnam war was once contrary to the customary mythology that "Americans fought and killed in Vietnam while Canadians opened their doors to conscientious objectors." But these days, as memories fade and Vietnam war revisionism is buoyed by the end of the Cold War, there are new calls for official government recognition of the estimated 10,000 Canadians who served in Indochina as mercenaries. There has been de facto recognition already as a result of increased visibility of these soldiers at Rememberance Day ceremonies but some want the government to establish monuments to honour Canadian Vietnam war veterans. Is this a good idea?"

Obviously, the answer to the question posed by "Peace and Environment News" on November 11th, 1992, was "NO, it is not a good idea to honor Canadian Vietnam war veterans". After all, there has been no honor given to them and now, thirteen years later, the Canadian government is rewriting history so that current generations do not even know there were Canadian soldiers in Vietnam.

Canada's Vietnam Veterans