President Trump – How Dare You Denigrate Our N.B. War Hero!!

Cpl. Chris Stannix killed April 8, 2007, in Afghanistan.

McAdam, N.B. Mayor Ken Stannix, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force serving in 2007 for NORAD in Colorado Springs, USA, when he learned that his son Chris had died in the Afghanistan war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in January that the USA “never needed” NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces in Afghanistan and that the NATO troops there “stayed a little back from the front lines”.
 
Still grieving the loss of his son, killed along with five other Canadian soldiers in their (LAV III) armored vehicle in a roadside bombing near Kandahar City, Stannix calmly, but forcefully, says Trump’s statement “was made out of ignorance’’.
 
Considering that 158 Canadians lost their lives as part of NATO forces in the Afghan War, Donald Trump’s comments are outrageous.
 
Trump received five military service deferments during the Vietnam War: four for education and one for a medical condition known as bone spurs in his heels (these are allegedly caused by a calcium build-up.)

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Ken Stannix, Mayor of McAdam, N.B., Retired Lieutenant-Colonel.

​U.S. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckwork, who lost both her legs while serving with U.S. Forces in the Iraq War, calls Trump “Cadet Bone Spurs” for his avoidance of military service.
 
Prince Harry, who did two tours of duty in Afghanistan, noted that 457 British soldiers lost their lives in that war. The Prince says those killed and their families deserve respect.
 
Another Canadian combat veteran, Nigel Williams, spoke up in response to Trump’s remarks about NATO. Williams says there are three main classes of soldiers in war: those who are killed, those who manage to make it home, and those who return home but are scarred for life.
 
A case in point is the sad story of Lionel Desmond, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who served in Afghanistan. In 2017 Desmond shot and killed his wife, their 10-year-old daughter, and his mother before taking his own life in Upper Big Tracadie, Nova Scotia. Desmond was diagnosed with severe PTSD and major depression after a traumatic 2007 tour in Afghanistan, which a fellow soldier described as "like going to hell".

Through good management and careful care, the Stannix family have been able to overcome the major tragedy in their lives. Along with his wife Kate, a Silver Cross Mother, family members and friends, Ken Stannix and about 100 veterans and family members from both sides of the border gather in early December each year on the International Bridge between St. Stephen and Calais for HART (Honouring Allies and Remembering Together).

Gold Star American mothers and their families unite with Canadian Silver Cross mothers and their families to remember their lost veterans.
 
“There is no mention of politics,” says Ken. “We support each other.” Photos are exchanged and tears are shed.
 
The simple ceremony on the International Bridge underlines the long-standing friendship between Canada and the United States, which has been threated by Trump’s repeated references to Canada as the 51st state and recently to Prime Minister Mark Carney as “Governor.” These sorts of comments have prompted a new patriotism among Canadians.

When PM Carney drew a standing ovation for his speech at the World Economic Forum, Trump did not approve. In fact, after initially saying he saw no problem with Canada’s new trade arrangement with China, Trump then said he would apply 100 per cent duties on all Canadian goods if Canada "makes a deal with China."

There is little if any respect for Canada coming from the U.S. President.
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When Ken Stannix was serving with NORAD, he says Canadian troops were highly respected by their American counterparts, and he “never heard once” the Americans complaining about Canadian representatives.

In fact, the Canadian soldiers were known for their “independent thinking”. Ken says the American military are not encouraged to make decisions until they reach the rank of Colonel. “In our military we trust our officers and NCOs to make decisions. You don’t have to get orders from above”, said Stannix.
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He believes that because of their smaller numbers, Canadian soldiers tend to be multi-talented, while in the American military there is more of a tendency to specialize within their very large military forces.
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This writer and our family have also experienced the loss of a son and would agree with Ken that family members must learn to talk to each other to make it through difficult times with loss.

As far as Trump is concerned, Ken says “you have to realize where he is coming from. The President never served.”

The Against the Flow blog heard about the story of Ken and Kate and their late son Chris from a CBC radio presentation by a sparkling journalist, Gloria Macarenko, and her program “The Story from Here,” which airs human interest stories from local communities across the country.
It is worth noting that Chris Stannix’s gravestone has six maple leafs etched on it remembering Chris and his five comrades killed on that fateful Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

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