A
t the 15 Wing Military Museum at CFB Moose Jaw, there is an exhibit that symbolizes the sacrifices of our Air Force personnel.
I
n the darkened room, there is a small table with a single chair. Spread upon the table is a white tablecloth, a flower vase, a glass and a small plate. A framed picture, faded by time, shows a large aircraft and several young airmen as they prepare for their next mission. There is an envelope, edged in black, lying next to the picture. It is postmarked 1943. Hanging on the wall, above the table, is a printed explanation of the exhibit titled "Missing Comrades". This I share with you. It reads:
Missing Comrades
Clad eternally in airforce blue, they are our brothers and sisters
Who are unable to return to those they love.
They are the airmen and airwomen of Canada who made the ultimate
sacrifice in defence of freedom and whose earthly remains lie in
cemetaries, on battlefields and in countless places known only to God.
This table is set for one is our way, the airforce way, of honouring the
memory and sacrifices of our comrades.
Its small stature illustrates the frailty of our chosen profession.
The cloth is white, symbolizing the purity of our missing comrades' motives
when answering the call to duty.
The single rose reminds us of the life of each and of their loved ones and
friends who kept the faith.
The vase is tied with a red ribbon. Symbol of our continued determination to
remember our missing comrades.
The slice of lemon is to remind us of the bitter fate that befell our missing
comrades.
A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears their families and loved ones have shed.
The glass is inverted to symbolize their absence.
The waiting chair is not really empty; though not with us in body, they are
present in spirit.
Per Ardua Ad Astra
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Copyright (c) 1997-2012 - Pat Fowler