Good morning. Thank you for coming here today.
I was just thinking of all the services that are provided for veterans. Generally speaking, are we maybe missing a target in some areas?
My reason for this question is the history of veterans, not only in this country but in many other countries. We've had veterans of many other wars. There was a huge number of Second World War veterans, some of whom are still alive. My grandfather was a First World War veteran. I remember he was missing his right arm. I had family who experienced terrible things in the Second World War, and I knew veterans from the Second World War, people who worked as forced labourers in Germany.
If you look at their history, a great majority of these people were able to return to normal life, sometimes, or probably in the majority of cases, without counselling or special programs. My question is--and I would ask Mr. Laidler--are we different now from what these people were before? For example, if someone is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, is the diagnosis important? I think what is more important is the treatment.
Maybe what the majority of people need is what the Legion can provide, where they can get together with friends and have a drink, maybe have a meal once a week or a dance. This would bring them to normal life.
Therefore what I am asking is, are there services that should be shifted? Maybe financial means should be shifted for programs of this kind of experience for people who served in our armed forces and have come back.