Recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump denigrating the contributions of NATO allies in Afghanistan draws widespread condemnation

Nearby Moore Street in our town, just a few steps from Centre, a battle-weary soldier sits grabbing a moment of respite.

This is Sudbury sculptor Tyler Fauvelle’s bronze statue in our Veterans Memorial Garden paying tribute to those 40,000 Canadian men and women who served over the course of 13 years in Afghanistan.

That number includes 34 members of the Elgin Regiment, reservists from all walks of life, who stepped forward as volunteers.

And none whose effort deserves being waved off last week by Donald Trump, who dismissed Canada’s contribution to the Afghanistan War: “You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that.

“And they did – they stayed back a little off the front lines.”

Depending on your source, a total of 158 or 159 members of the Canadian Armed Forces and seven Canadian civilians were killed in the conflict – the greatest wartime sacrifice by Canadians since the Korean War.

The garden’s website at veteransmemorialgarden.ca lists the names of the 159 fallen that it counts.

Our local volunteers definitely stood to the fore, says Herb Warren, former officer commanding the Elgin Regiment, who chaired the creation of the Veterans Memorial Garden.

“Yes, members of 31CER were most certainly in harm’s way and one of our soldiers, Cpl. Will Werth, was quite badly wounded.”

Thankfully, all returned.

The garden currently is working to add names of all the local men and women who served in Afghanistan, with the Elgins and otherwise, to the memorial.

Herb calls Trump’s comments “despicable.”

And I know he is not alone in his opinion.

Now retired from the military, Scott Smith, who teaches physics and law at Central Elgin Collegiate Institute, commanded the Elgins from 2013 to 2018, during part of the time members of the unit volunteered for Afghanistan.

And he, himself, went overseas as well in 2005.

“Thirty-one CER sent over 30 soldiers to Afghanistan. They came from our squadrons in Waterloo and St. Thomas, from all ranks and all walks of life in their civilian jobs.

“These soldiers voluntarily gave up the safety and security, left their families in Canada and travelled across the world to fight for the lives and livelihoods of strangers.”

And though they volunteered for different reasons, “a universal theme was the sense of duty these soldiers felt to Canada, our NATO brothers and........

© Sarnia Observer