Afghanistan Memorial Forest

[Ed Storey]

I received an e-mail on Friday from the Garrison Petawawa PAFO that Cpl Scherrer's dead tree had been replaced and I was sent these low res images as proof. I hope the tree was watered after the photos were taken...

Tree 1.jpg

Tree 2.jpg

This statement was also part of the message, "Please know that we do not neglect the forest and we do endeavor to check and replace the trees on an annual basis. We thank you for your dedication to the Forest."

Endeavor to check and replace the trees on an annual basis means to me that the Garrison tries to inspect the forest once a year and a dead tree could potentially remain in-situ for 12 months. I guess a weekly inspection and replacing dead trees as quickly as possible is too much to ask for a forest dedicated to Canada's Afghan fatalities. As someone who has visited many of the immaculate war graves in Europe, both Commonwealth and foreign, I am thankful that Garrison Petawawa is not in charge of running the grounds keeping Europe.