When Virginia Hicks, Canada’s Silver Cross mother, heard of the fatal tragedy at CFB Wainwright she says it was “like somebody dumped a bucket of cold water” as her daughter also died in a training exercise.
asserted
daughter → hear → exercise
Four soldiers died and dozens more were injured last month when a nearby grass fire overwhelmed soldiers taking part in live-fire training at the base southeast of Edmonton.
asserted
fire → die → Edmonton
“It’s like somebody dumped a bucket of cold water, you could just…
uncertain
you → ’ → water
Oh my God, not again, and you have to feel for the families that this is not something that anybody wants ever to happen to their loved ones,” Hicks said in an interview with Global News.
asserted
Hicks → have → News
“When they go to work, they want them to come home.
asserted
them → go → work
A veteran herself, Hicks lost her daughter Mariebeth Short in 2002 during a training exercise on the Matawa Plains in Petawawa, Ont.
asserted
Hicks → lose → Petawawa
As an investigation is ongoing into the Wainwright tragedy, Hicks encouraged families to “stay patient” and allow the Canadian Armed Forces to do its investigation.
asserted
Forces → encourage → investigation
It was the same thing her family had to do when her daughter died.
asserted
daughter → have → ?
Mariebeth Short was a sapper who served with 2 Combat Engineering Regiment based in Petawawa.
asserted
who → serve → Petawawa
Both Hicks and her stepfather Brian were serving already, which piqued her interest.
asserted
which → serve → interest
Originally interested in becoming a navigator, Hicks said due to math scores Short had to look at alternatives and decided she wanted to become a combat engineer which gave her parents pause.
asserted
which → become → pause
“Brian goes, ‘combat engineer? Are you crazy?’
asserted
you → go → engineer
He said, ‘you are four-foot-11, you weigh 95 pounds when you’re soaking wet, do you realize that a combat arms trade is really heavy work,'” Hicks explained.
asserted
Hicks → say → pounds
But their daughter was “feisty” and “liked a challenge,” prompting her to move ahead with her goal.
asserted
daughter → like → goal
Short graduated second in her class and was eventually stationed at Petawawa.
asserted
Short → graduate → Petawawa
On Sept. 23, 2002, she called her mother to let her know she’d get to drive first during a training exercise.
asserted
she → call → exercise
She promised to call them once the exercise was done, likely later that week on Friday.
asserted
exercise → promise → Friday
A full military funeral was held for Short in Trenton, Ont., her mother’s hometown, with hundreds of soldiers in attendance.
asserted
hundreds → hold → attendance
She now rests in the same Trenton graveyard as members of her family.
asserted
She → rest → family
Each year on the anniversary of her death, Hicks said the family returns to Petawawa and is taken to the crash site by the military.
asserted
family → say → military
“We take roses and there was a little tiny tree the day of the crash …
asserted
We → take → crash
That kind of gives us a point of remembrance because that’s where her body laid when they took her out of the LAV, was by this tree,” Hicks said.
asserted
Hicks → give → tree
“So every year we go back with roses and we stick roses in the tree.
asserted
we → go → tree
Well, back in 2002 the tree was about six to eight inches tall, now it’s like 25 feet tall.
asserted
it → ’ → 2002
She added they put a rose at a monument put together for all members of the unit who were killed in Kandahar, Kabal and others killed in the service of Canada.
asserted
who → add → Canada
On Remembrance Day, Hicks will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial on behalf of mothers whose children died while serving the military.
asserted
children → lay → military
Hicks said she’s honoured to be chosen as this year’s Silver Cross mother because it’s not only her daughter who she’ll be remembering.
asserted
she → say → who
“It is a remembrance of Mariebeth, but it’s also a remembrance of all of the fallen, all of the mothers, the families, and you think of them daily and especially on Remembrance Day,” Hicks said.
asserted
Hicks → ’ → Day
“When I lay the wreath I know I’m allowed to go up, I’m going to kneel and I always kiss my hand and then put my hand on the wreath and that’s like, my heart going out to them.”
asserted
heart → lay → them
As the victims and families of Wainwright observe the first Remembrance Day following the tragedy, Hicks stressed they have a large group of people they can lean on.
asserted
they → observe → people
“I feel very badly for all the parents, even the parents of the ones that are still in hospital, they have a long road ahead of them,” Hicks said.
asserted
Hicks → feel → them
“If there’s anything they ever need or want, there is a large group of Silver Cross mothers out there that, reach out to any of us, I’m sure we’ll help you as best as we can.”
asserted
we → ’ → you
The Aporia
