GO CANADA  GO 
Red Shirt 
  
 
If the 
red shirt thing is new to you, read below how it  went for one man... 
Last week, while traveling to Toronto on  business, I noticed an army sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not  put two and two together.  After we boarded our flight, I turned to the  sergeant, who'd b een invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and  inquired if he was heading home. 
'No', he responded. 
'Heading  out', I asked? 
'No. I'm escorting a soldier home.'
'Going to pick  him up?'
'No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Afghanistan; I'm  taking him home to his family.'
The realization of what he had been asked  to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honour for him. He told me that,  although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to  the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so  few days. 
I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, 'Thank you.  Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we  do.'
Upon landing in Toronto, the pilot stopped short of the gate and  made the following announcement over the intercom. 
'Ladies and  gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honour of having Sergeant  Steeley of the Canadian Armed Forces join us on this flight. He is escorting a  fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your  seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to de plane and  receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt  sign.'
Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant  saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me  realize that I am proud to be a Canadian.  
So here's a public Thank You to our military  Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do. 
Red  Fridays
Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red  every Friday. The reason; Canadians who support our troops used to be called the  'silent majority.' We are no longer silent , and are voicing our love for God,  country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or  overbearing. 
Many Canadians, like you, me and all our friends, simply  want to recognize that the vast majority of Canadians supports our troops. Our  idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect  starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come  home, sending a deafening message that every red-blooded Canadian who supports  our men and women afar, will wear something red.   
By word of mouth,  press, TV -- let's make    Canada on every Friday a sea of red much like a  homecoming Hockey game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this  country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, it  will not be long before the    Canada is covered in 
RED and it will let  our troops know the once 'silent' majority is on their side more than ever,  certainly more than the media lets on. 
The first thing a soldier says  when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is 'We need your  support and your prayers.' Let's get the word out and lead with class and  dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday.