Madam Speaker, I was 13 years old when the second world war ended; 9 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour and the war in the Pacific commenced. Young as I was, with an aunt, an uncle and a cousin already in Canada's armed forces, Pearl Harbour impacted strongly on my family and on me.
For the men of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles the overwhelming numbers of Japanese attacking Hong Kong made the battle short but the ensuing years in prisoner of war camps long and arduous.
Overworked, underfed, exposed and vulnerable to tropical diseases and without adequate medical care, almost as many died in those camps as had been killed in the fight.
History tells us that the Japanese met their strongest resistance where men of the Royal Rifles and Winnipeg Grenadiers held the ground.
More than 500 of those who sailed for Hong Kong did not return. Those who did suffered abuse and deprivation which would affect them for the rest of their lives.
In the air, whether flying the hump in transport aircraft, in bombers carrying the fight to the enemy or in fighters defending our forces against enemy air attack, the Royal Canadian Air Force made a vital contribution to the successful resolution of that war.
I was delighted to see on the list of 40 veterans whom we will accompany on this pilgrimage the name of a pilot with whom I served during my career in the air force. Until I saw his name among the veterans I had no idea he had flown in that campaign. He is not one to trumpet his accomplishments. We have not seen each other for many years and I look forward with great anticipation to meeting him again. I look forward to meeting and coming to know all these veterans who gave so much for Canadians and the world during that difficult time.
1994 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the first world war and the 50th anniversary of events leading to the end of the second world war. 1995 has seen ceremonies commemorating events late in the war and finally victory in Europe.
This pilgrimage on which we embark tomorrow will visit cemeteries where Canadians lie in Burma, now Myanmar, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
I will take great pride in joining our veterans of those campaigns as we pay tribute to their many comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice and did not return.