Restoring Tradition
June 01, 2010
The recent announcement that officers in the Canadian Forces Maritime Command would have the “executive curl,” a small loop of gold braid, returned to their uniforms was met with widespread approval from our sailors.The executive curl had been a part of Canadian naval uniforms since the inception of the Royal Canadian Navy in 1910. It was removed in 1968 when the government of the day united the different branches of Canada’s armed forces, and reinstituted to mark the Navy’s centennial.
Restoring the curl is a small thing, a change to uniform insignia that would probably go unnoticed by the vast majority of Canadian civilians. But it means a lot to those who care about our military and its traditions.
Canada has a proud military history, one we have too often failed to teach. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen put their lives on the line daily in their service to the people of Canada. Whether it is helping Canadians deal with crises at home (such as the Winnipeg flood), helping those in need elsewhere (as in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake), or serving in a traditional military role (Afghanistan), our service men and women are outstandingly professional, with the highest of reputations.
In this year of the Navy’s centennial perhaps it is time to restore another tradition, the traditional name of the service. Until 1968 the sailors of Canadian Forces Maritime Command were proud to be known as the Royal Canadian Navy, part of a tradition that began with the Royal Navy hundreds of years ago. After all, the ships of the Canadian fleet still carry the traditional designation HMCS for Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship.
The Royal Canadian Navy had a long and honourable tradition that today’s sailors know and appreciate. It is time to give them the name back.
What do you think?