Morin honors World War II veterans

NAPLES, Italy (USTCNS) --- Military Sealift Command, Europe's Sealift operations director Lt. Cmdr. Luc Morin, Canadian Forces, honored Canadian veterans in a recent ceremony held in Italy.

Along with fellow Canadian military personnel and their families from Allied Forces, Southern Europe, Morin participated in the Nov.11 ceremony at the Moro River Canadian War Ceremony in Ortona, Italy, where over 1,300 Canadian soldiers perished in a decisive World War II battle.

Ortona, a port city in southern Italy on the Adriatic coast, was the site of a 'stand-off' between Allied and German forces in an effort to move west and take control of Rome. The Dec. 6-28, 1943 struggle, which lead to the fall of the town to Allied forces, was the first extended engagement by a Canadian division in the war. It was also known for its particularly brutal close quarter combat, described by some historians as one of the most difficult battles fought by the Canadian Army in the Second World War.

"It was a great opportunity for those who wear the uniform today to remember our comrades who lost their lives here so many years ago," Morin said. Morin said he didn't expect to participate in the wreath laying but was asked to replace a colleague at the last minute.

The ceremony was sponsored by the nearby Canadian College at Lanciano, Italy. Morin, along with Canadian Lt. Col. Serge Lavallee, Canadian Forces, laid the wreath at the memorial statue, stepped back several paces, and saluted. Several veterans of the battle, as well as the chief of the Abruzzo province area Carabinieri-the national Italian police force-also attended the ceremony.

In total, the cemetery contains 1,615 burial sites in which 1,375 are Canadian and others from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South African, and India.

As Sealift operations director, Morin is responsible for managing and facilitating sealift requirements for various commands in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility. This includes both government-owned and chartered commercial cargo vessels.

(FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND - EUROPE PUBLIC AFFAIRS)