Tecumseh town council approved Tuesday night moving forward with a motion brought forward by Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti, that would see the addition of an inscription on the Tecumseh cenotaph to recognize the services and sacrifices of Canadian Armed Forces members who served in the Afghanistan war.
The inscription would read: AFGHANISTAN 2001-2014.
Tecumseh Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti says he was inspired after recently attended the unveiling of a painting by a local artist led by the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment.
"And there were many moving stories from veterans there that spoke there about the liberation of Dieppe, and it really touched my heart, and the MC at the time there was the deputy mayor of the Town of LaSalle, Michael Akpata, who is as you know is a veteran of the Afghanistan War."
He says the motion will now to go to administration to figure out the cost of the inscription, with the determination of the cost taking place as part of the 2024 Budget deliberations.
"We just want to stress the importance that the veterans who have served for their country, and acknowledge their contributions to world peace. Specifically the Afghanistan war, from 2001 to 2014, so that we'd be able to celebrate and recognize their service in terms of when we do our ceremonies for Remembrance Day moving forward."
Bachetti says there's no timeline as to when it could be completed.
"I know in May or early spring there is a Memorial Day for those who served in the Afghanistan war, so maybe that could be a target date, but at the end of the day it's long overdue in terms of making this happen."
More than 40,000 Canadians in uniform and hundreds of civilians and government officials served in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014.
While in Afghanistan, 158 Canadian Armed Forces members, a diplomat, four aid workers, a government contractor and a journalist lost their lives.
Corporal Andrew Grenon was a member of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
On September 3, 2008, Grenon was nearing the end of his second tour of duty in Afghanistan when his patrol fell under attack. The 23-year-old from Windsor and two other soliders were killed.
This was the longest combat deployment in Canadian history.
-With files from AM800's Rob Hindi