Ottawa is honouring Calgary’s veterans in a way that they never have before.
Julian Fantino, the Minister of Veterans Affairs, presented the new Bomber Command Bar to Calgary veterans who served with the group during World War II.
"Our Government is proud to have created the Bomber Command Bar to honour Canadian Veterans who served in Bomber Command," said Minister Fantino. "Today, I am very pleased to present this very special honour to those Canadians who fought for peace, freedom and democracy through their service in Bomber Command."
Canada played a vital role in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan, a plan which supplied pilots for the backbone of Bomber Command.
Many Canadians who trained under the program went on to serve in the No. 6 Bomber Group, the only non-British group to serve in Bomber Command.
The group carried out more than 40,000 missions and accumulated about 8,000 decorations by the end of World War II.
In addition to the Bomber Command Bar, the Government of Canada also contributed to helping construct the Bomber Command Memorial in London, U.K.
For more information on Canada's role in Bomber Command and the Bomber Command Bar, to apply online for the honour or to download a hardcopy of the application form, please visit veterans.gc.ca.
