Remembering Courage, Service and Sacrifice

At 11:11am the nation took time to remember those who served and made sacrifices for our nation. As we take time to reflect, the sense of pride in those who have served for Canada comes to the forefront. National Speakers Bureau recognizes and honours some of our speakers who have served our nation and others around the world. General Rick Hillier (Ret), Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire (Ret), Lieutenant Colonel Stephane Grenier (Ret), Master Corporal Jody Mitic,  General Walter Natynczyk, and LCol (Ret) Chris Linford  have all made remarkable contributions and sacrifices to which we are ever grateful.     General Dallaire served over 25 years with the Canadian Armed forces. He helped rescue of thousands in the Rwanda genocide as commander of the UN peacekeeping force and his heartfelt message of humanity has made him one of the most respected leaders around the world.  He is an outspoken advocate for human rights, mental health, veterans, military families and putting an end to the use of child soldiers in conflict.     General Rick Hillier is the former Chief of the Defence Staff for Canadian forces – their highest rank. He’s served in Canada, Europe, Asia, the United States and Afghanistan. A man who takes pride in his country, his team and the significance of his mission, General Hillier is one of Canada’s most celebrated leaders. He is an advocate of honouring the sacrifices and contributors made by our ancestors at home and overseas.     Lt Col Stephane Grenier is a former member of the Canadian Military who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving for over 29 years. He participated in several Canadian missions overseas, most notably nine months in Rwanda in 1994/95 and six months in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2007, as well as numerous shorter deployments to Cambodia, Kuwait, the Arabian Gulf, Lebanon, and Haiti, to name a few. He is an advocate for mental health innovations and peer support.   M Cpl Jody Mitic is a 17 year veteran of the Canadian Forces. In 2006 MCpl Jody Mitic deployed as a sniper team leader in Afghanistan. On Jan 11, 2007 he accidentally stepped on a landmine and lost both feet. One year after his recovery, he completed St-Johns annual charity 5km run raising money for the St-John Rehabilitation Center and was most recently a contestant on The Amazing Race Canada, finishing in the top 3. Jody is an outspoken advocate for wounded soldiers and military veterans.   General Walter Natynczyk is considered a new breed of modern day operational military leader; General Natyncyyk has a business administration degree, yet speaks the language of values, loyalty and humility. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces from 2008-12.  He has commanded nearly 12,000 troops with missions in Afghanistan, Haiti, the Vancouver Olympics, and the G8 and G20 Summits.   LCol Chris Linford retired from the Canadian Armed Forces following a distinguished 25 year career. He joined as a Nursing Officer in 1988 and has deployed on several domestic operations as well as three operational tours overseas to the Gulf War, Rwanda and Kandahar Afghanistan. He transitioned to a Health Services Operations Officer in 2000 and went on to command 1 Field Ambulance in Edmonton from 2007-2009 and was the Executive Officer deployed with the NATO Role 3 Combat Hospital in Afghanistan from 2009-2010.   Though unique in their perspectives, all six are united in the desire to better the lives of those who served our nation, and their efforts in advocacy have helped spark discussion and interest in humanity, peace, conflict resolution and international affairs. National Speakers Bureau is proud to represent these honourable servicemen.