Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Admiral McFadden Retires

Head of Canadian navy sails into retirement.



It is unfortunate that Vice-Admiral McFadden opposed the executive curl and our campaign to restore the royal designation to the Canadian navy, but we wish him well in retirement. 37 years of naval service is nothing to sneeze at - he had a very successful career, and was at the top when the navy celebrated its centennial.

I don't know where his successor, Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison, stands on restoring the 'Royal', but I do remember him as an extremely hard working executive officer when he was serving in HMCS Winnipeg, when I was a sub-lieutenant serving in another ship. Let's hope as the next Chief of Maritime Staff, he also becomes the nominal commander of the Royal Canadian Navy!

12 comments:

  1. This is good, to loose somebody that does not support the return of the Royal Canadian Navy. Why would anybody oppose wearing the executive curls or bringing back anything to do with the Navy's history? It Doesn't make sense.

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  2. It confounds me as well. Why would anyone fight to keep wearing that costume (I can't bring myself to call it a uniform) he has on? The only thing that could be considered naval on that thing are the buttons.

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  3. While one always wants to honour the long service of a comrade, I wish that McFadden (a man of the 'Elements') had excerised as much tolerance and generosity of spirit with so many other highly distinguished officers and ratings who have advocated and longed for the restoration of Canada's military tradition; not only in the Navy, but the so often forgotten and neglected Air Force as well.

    I hope that the deep malaise and absurd alien novelty that was embedded by misguided governments past, much by stealth, within DND and the Canadian Armed Forces, will finally come to an end.

    A lot of us are pinning our hopes on this Prime Minister and his government to make it happen at last. Here's to Admiral Paul Maddison of the Royal Canadian Navy!

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  4. Reference the buttons on the "costume..." - remember that to be truly an RCN uniform it has to have eight buttons. Can't say I can find it in me to wish senior officers well in retirement when they have no concept - or use - for the service's history or heritage. And that goes for retiring air force officers too. For me, that's like wishing Paul - UFO's are real -Hellyer well in his retirement. I am not a good enough man to do either.

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  5. Good riddance. Rumour has it that he stated at one of his farewell townhalls that there is no Canadian Navy, just the Canadian Forces. Not sure of the exact context, though.

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  6. He proves the adage, "never trust a naval officer with a moustache".

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  7. A paper admiral who is unable to read the government's script. Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Element. Don't rock the boat!

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  8. The man has a political tin ear and doesn't care one whiff for tradition. I mean what kind of senior naval officer would oppose tradition at precisely the time when we have the most traditionally minded government since, well ever. Navy people are suppose to reek of tradition. It doesn't make any sense.

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  9. The thing is, if it is right to restore the RCN and the RCAF, what the current leadership, or even current membership of the military think about this is not necessarily the most important thing. This is an issue of cultural import for all Canadians and I don't care what McFadden thought about it. I say this as a former member of the CF myself (Army): the military doesn't own this issue.

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The Petition moves along...

May 1: Laurie Hawn, M.P. agrees to support petition
April 30: Sent draft petition to The Dominion Institute to seek their sponsorship
April 28: Sent draft petition to Captain(N) Pickingford, Project Manager, Canadian Navy Centennial Project
April 27: Sent petition to Blaine Barker of the Royal Canadian Naval Association and Bob Nixon of the Naval Officer's Association of Canada and Peter Dawe, Executive Director of the RMC Club
April 26: The Monarchist League of Canada members are supportive
April 25: Interesting - even heated - debate over at the Navy, Army, Air Force Forum, where the "Yeas" have it by a two-thirds majority.