Explain This To Me

   On Monday October 25th, Canadian veterans of World War II returned to Italy for an 11-day tour that marks the 60th anniversary of the Italian campaign. The vets will attend commemorative ceremonies being held at various war cemeteries and other battle sites. One of the men going is Canada's last surviving recipient of the Victoria Cross, Ernest Smith. Smith is 90 years old, and confined to a wheelchair by an ankle he broke last year. Although he says his winning of the Victoria Cross is "a little dim" in his memory because it happened 60 years ago, he can still give exact details of what took place when other men are the central figures of the story. This self-effacing hero found depths of courage within himself in October 1944, that read like the screenplay for an action flick. Every one of the 5,900 Canadians who died in the Italian campaign should be honoured, but for those men, these ceremonies come too late. For men like Smith, the days are numbered before they are finally reunited with their fallen comrades. Why then, I have to ask, is the Canadian government only paying for part of the cost of this trip? The governor-general of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, will be there to greet the men, and you can just bet little miss isn't opening her own wallet for the trip. She does (and has done) very little for the country other than spending its money. How does she deserve better treatment than the veterans are given? Why isn't every single penny of expenditure being given to these heroes? No-one can ever affix a price tag to what they gave their country. While they are still here to receive the thanks, say them loud and clear. They, and all the others gave so generously of themselves. Parsimony should have absolutely no place in our response.