Thank you, Mr. Richards.
As I've said, I've been retired from Willis for three years now and have not really been in touch with my veteran students, but during the five years that I was there, it was enormous for me to learn that veterans actually were suffering. I learned all about PTSD, what veterans were going through and what they needed in order to be comfortable, even in the arrangement of classrooms. I did not realize, as somebody mentioned, the personal invisible scars they had. I had veterans who were suicidal.
My practice was to see everybody in person. I wanted them to come. I wanted to hug them. I figured that I was old enough and nobody was going to take that in any discriminatory way. At that time, I worked with my mentor, retired Lieutenant-General Walter Semianiw, who some of you probably are familiar with. I was learning a lot from his lessons about how to deal with things and what to do.
I remember one particular student. When we announced the VFTP on Parliament Hill, I wanted all of the Willis graduates, who included Mr. Sparks, a graduate from 1958 and a World War II hero, and the new VFTP students, to be proud on Parliament Hill regarding the VFTP. One particular student said that he wouldn't come. I asked why, and he said, “All your healing, all your hugs and all your making me believe that life is worth living paid off.” I asked what he meant. He said, “I'm going home because I haven't seen my mother for Christmas, and I'm going to give her a hug.”
When we heard this, both Mr. Semianiw and I had tears in our eyes. It's about understanding the human side of showing kindness to people. It doesn't need to be big, but they need to be remembered. They need to be respected. They need to be loved for what they've done for our country.
There were many other situations where students could not afford to go places because financially they could not afford it. It was very hard for me as an immigrant to see this. Never mind that we see homeless people on the street, and never mind that we see people in retirement homes passing away with nobody there for them to hold their hand. I've witnessed a few of these things as well. There are young people, full of life and full of wanting to do something more, who should not be experiencing that.