CDA Essentials 2014 • Volume 1 • Issue 4 - page 31

31 Volume1 Issue4 |
Issues and People
Dr.PaulKavanagh
HONOURING
WARVETERANS
Coming fromamilitary family,Dr.PaulKavanagh
wasraisedtorespectthesacrificesofthosewhoserve
ourcountry.WithOperationVeteran,hewishes
tohonourourveteransandshareourpastwith
schoolchildren.
Whenvisiting theCanadianWarMuseum in
Ottawa in2009, Dr. Paul Kavanaghwitnessed
aheartbreaking incident—adignifiedveteran
tremblingof embarrassmentwhenhe realized
hecouldnot afford soupandcoffeeat the
museum’s cafeteria. Dr. Kavanaghdiscreetly
paid for theman’smeal. “Hewas in tears;
I had todo something,” he remembers. The
ideaforOperationVeteranwasborn.
A fewweeks after thepoignant encounter,
Dr. Kavanagh, aperiodondist practising inLaval,
Quebec,went back to themuseum tomeetwith
itsdirector general. Together, theyestablished
theprinciples for theOperationVeteran initiative.
Thanks to thegenerosityof privatedonors and
the fundraisingeffortsof schoolchildren from
across thecountry, veteransnow receivea
complimentarymealwhenvisiting themuseum.
More than5000war heroeshavebenefited from
theprogram todate.
Lestwe forget
Another focusofOperationVeteran is education.
Everyyear, schools that help fund the initiative
are invited toparticipate inRemembranceDay
activities. Studentshave theopportunity toattend
thewreath-layingceremonyanddiscusswith
veterans as they tour theCanadianWarMuseum.
“It’s that one-on-one interaction that adds the
personal element,” explainsDr. Kavanagh. “I
believe that if youngpeople knowour history
and respect our veterans, theywill valueand
takecareof our country.”
Throughonline teachingmodules, schoolchildren
canalsodiscover lesser-knownaspectsof the
military suchasdiplomacyandpeacekeeping.
Another outreach tool ofOperationVeteran is
a3-dayeducational programwhich includes
workshops, lectures andmuseum tours.
OperationVeteranwill be launching its latest
addition inSeptember 2014, just in time to
celebrate theFirstWorldWar centenary. Supply
Line will offer ahands-onopportunity for students
to learnabout lifeatwar.With the support of the
CanadianWarMuseum, trunks from theGreatWar
will travel to schools throughout thecountry. Their
contents—authenticand reproductionmaterials
includinguniforms, gas rattles andmasks, helmets,
rationbiscuits, letters exchangedbetween those
on the frontlineand their lovedones, andother
wartimemementoes—will prompt schoolchildren
to imagine themselves in the shoesof thosewho
fought acenturyago. Each trunkwill comewitha
studyguidedeveloped specifically for the kids’ age
group—elementaryor high school students.
“Canadianveteransmadeanenormous
contribution, servingour countryand the
entireworld. It’sour turn to serve them,” says
Dr. Kavanagh. “Byprovidingmeals toour veterans
andofferingeducational programs soyoung
peoplecanbetter understandourmilitaryhistory,
wedemonstrate respect andhelpperpetuate the
memoryof their invaluablecontribution.”
In recognitionof his tremendous services to the
veterancommunity, Dr. Kavanagh received the
QueenElizabeth IIDiamond JubileeMedal andRoyal
CanadianLegionCertificateofMerit in2012, and the
MinisterofVeteransAffairsCommendation in2013—
adistinction rarelyawarded tonon-veterans. a
GenevièveC.Gagnon isCDAwriter/editor.
Operation
Veteran
① Dr. Paul Kavanagh,
thecatalyst for
OperationVeteran
Initiative
② A student partakes in
theopportunity to
interactwithawar
veteran
③ Two students view
warmemorabilia
from theCanadian
WarMuseum