Veterans Affairs committee  We are ready at this end too, Mr. Chairman. We are not particularly well-prepared, but we're ready.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm the adviser to the minister, and the adviser does not make any decisions. The decisions are made by the people who are here with me and those with the minister. I'm protecting myself to start with because the people with me know all about what we're doing. I only know fragmen

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. Let me say to you that I am, indeed, the senior Canadian veteran of the battle of the freedom of the Netherlands. It's a function of age, among other things. My part in the battle was in the air force with 430 Squadron, operating out of the great city of Eindhoven in

Veterans Affairs committee  That was a strong one, absolutely. Of course I'm six feet four inches tall. I'm not really your height.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. I'm the honorary of everything in sight in the Toronto area. The chief of police is just retiring. His name is Bill Blair. He's very famous and has been a fantastic chief for 10 years. He decided that it would be appropriate, because I'm six-foot-four and he is, that I shou

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, like this morning. I stood next to him, looked him right in the eye, and he formally presented me with my chief of police honorary badge and the card with my photograph on it and so forth. That was a very significant thing for me. Now I'm the honorary chief of police of Toro

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, Chairman, I'm always cognizant of the caution from the chair about time, but because at my age, time doesn't mean much.

Veterans Affairs committee  In any event, I'm fundamentally finished, except to say that we are really working hard on making this a significant one, because this celebration of Canada in Holland will be the last one of any significance due to the age factor. This is it. My time is more than gone, and I ap

Veterans Affairs committee  May 5.

Veterans Affairs committee  It will be less because you won't be there.

Veterans Affairs committee  You have to believe me. I'm not part Polish, but you have to believe me anyway.

Veterans Affairs committee  Let me try to answer that. I think that what we do, through Veterans Affairs and the great celebrations on D-Day in Holland and elsewhere, gives us a chance to really tell the story to the best of our ability. A good friend of mine is a fellow called Peter Mansbridge. Mansbridge

Veterans Affairs committee  It was quite a feat.

Veterans Affairs committee  That is a big parade again and it's quite significant.