Westmount, Quebec – 30 May 2017: The Canadian Jewish Experience, proudly celebrating Canada’s 150 years, invited the friends & members of the RMR regimental family to a unique opportunity held in the RMR officers’ mess last night: A panel composed of Jewish veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces who discussed their military experience as Jews, spanning eight decades of service, and the specific issues encountered and surmounted.
The panel was moderated by Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Garber, CD, who served 32 years in the Army Reserve, including command of the Brockville Rifles regiment after his service with the RMR. There were 50+ guests in attendance to listen to the panel.
All of the panelists reported that their time in the military had been very rewarding, and MGen (ret’d) Fitch probably summed up the Canadian military experience the best when he stated that the Canadian Army is a meritocracy.
Panel members included:
Honorary Colonel David Hart, MM, CD
HCol Hart, aged 99 ¾, was awarded the Military Medal for bravery on the battlefield as a young Sergeant at Dieppe. He is the longest serving Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Army.
Major-General (retired) Edward Fitch, OMM, MSM, CD
MGen Fitch is only the second Jewish member of the Canadian Armed Forces to attain the rank of major-general. He served multiple tours with NATO and UN forces around the world.
Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Dr. Markus Martin, CD, MDCM
Dr. Markus Martin, a distinguished Montreal-based physician, commanded 51st Medical Company in Canada’s Army Reserve prior to his operational deployment to Afghanistan.