Terry Kruger
Northern News Services

Esquimalt, B.C. (Nov 15/02) - For Remembrance Day 2001, Jim Heath and the crew of HMCS Vancouver participated in a sombre ceremony in San Diego.

The next day, they sailed off to "missions unknown," part of an American aircraft carrier battle group bound for the Arabian Sea and the war on terror.

On Monday, he was home in Langford, B.C., paying tribute to Canadians killed during two world wars, the Korean War and on peacekeeping missions.

Heath and his crew returned to home port in July after seven months away.

"Those who served before the 1950s were the peace makers," said Heath from Esquimalt, B.C. last week. "We're peace keepers."

It's an important distinction for Heath, who grew up in Inuvik.

"In my 26 years of service, I've never had to fire a weapon in anger," he explained.

Even so, Heath understands the need to be prepared to use force to uphold the ideals Canadians have fought and died for.

"We owe that to the 116,000 Canadians who have lost their lives in world wars, the Korean War and peacekeeping."

That fact was especially poignant when they took part in ceremonies to honour Canadians killed in the defence of Hong Kong in 1941.

He remembers thinking "how young" those men were when they died.

That sacrifice was important for Heath and his crew to remember as they patrolled 2,200 km of coastline from Iraq to Pakistan.

They didn't dodge enemy submarines but the tension of never knowing if terrorists would attack kept the crew on edge.

"It was an intangible threat," said Heath. "You do a simple boarding operation and you could meet a member of the Taliban or al-Qaeda."

But the job they did was important.

"We have a moral obligation to participate," said Heath. "What happened (on Sept. 11, 2001) was wrong."

Support from home was also important.

Thousands of people stood on the shore as Vancouver sailed off last year, and Heath and his crew received thousands of letters and e-mails from people.

One of those letters of support was from the man who was his cadet instructor in Inuvik.

That support, said Heath, is "typical of the Canadian psyche."

Last week, Heath and his crew received service medals honouring their time in the Arabian Sea.