November 12, 2020
The Governor General hosted a conversation entitled "On the Importance of Remembrance" with Major-General (Ret’d) Richard Rohmer, Honorary Lieutenant-General of the Canadian Armed Forces and a veteran of the Second World War, and Mrs. Debbie Sullivan, 2020 National Silver Cross Mother.
Major-General (Ret’d) Rohmer is a veteran of D-Day, the Battle of Normandy and the Liberation of Holland. Among his many lifetime achievements, Major-General (Ret’d) Rohmer was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 1990, and held several command positions in the Canadian Armed Forces during his service.
Mrs. Debbie Sullivan is the 2020 National Silver Cross Mother, chosen by the Royal Canadian Legion to represent the mothers of Canada at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa and at other official functions throughout the year. Mrs. Sullivan’s son, Lt(N) Christopher Edward Saunders, was a Naval Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. He was killed on October 6, 2004, when a fire broke out onboard HMCS Chicoutimi, where he was serving at the time.
The Governor General also presented a short video commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, featuring interviews with veterans from across Canada talking about the physical and psychological scars their participation in the war effort left on them.
The interpretation between English and French is intended for live communication only and cannot be used as a verbatim record or translation by any party, since the word-for-word accuracy of the content cannot be ensured.