This was in the can.community.military news group posted yesterday morning as well...
"Give troops show of support
Soldier's girlfriend urges people to wear red on Fridays to boost troop
morale
By Rachel Boomer
The Daily News
DARTMOUTH - When Rebecca Verlinden's boyfriend joined the army last year,
she knew he might end up in a war zone.
To show her support for the risks he, and everyone else in uniform, takes
when they join the Canadian military, Verlinden has started wearing red
every Friday.
And she'd like you to join her.
"It doesn't matter if you support the war or don't support the war. It says
you support the troops," Verlinden, 28, said yesterday. "It's hard to let
somebody leave and not be sure if they're going to come back."
The campaign began two weeks ago on a military family support website that
Verlinden joined: www.marriedtothecanadian forces.com. Verlinden says when
she got an e-mail about the initiative, she decided to promote it on the
East Coast.
First, she wore a pair of red pants. Last Friday, it was her only other red
garments - a red shirt and ball cap. Since then, her six co-workers, several
others in her Burnside office building, and her family have joined her.
"It caught on like wildfire."
Soon, she hopes most of the city will hear about her story, and follow suit.
"We've had a lot of people say 'I don't support the war, but I support the
people who stand behind the military,'" Verlinden said, adding she thinks
military members sometimes feel "lost in the shuffle" when Canadians debate
the politics of their involvement.
Her boyfriend, signals operator Pte. John Golden, is training in Borden,
Ont. Deployment to a war zone is no remote possibility -several people from
his training group have already been pulled away early for international
missions. Verlinden says she's proud, but it's hard not to be nervous.
"I get a call every day, and I wonder 'what if it's bad news?'"
Golden, too, says he's nervous about a potentially dangerous mission, but it
helps to know family and friends are showing public support.
"It shows our people are out there and thinking of us," Golden said.
Land Force Atlantic spokesman Major Jay Janzen hadn't heard of the campaign
before yesterday, but he was all in favour of it.
"Families are so very important in our efforts. In order for our people to
keep their focus overseas, they have to know that things are being taken
care of at home," Janzen said. "I think it's absolutely fantastic that
Canadians are appreciative of what our troops are doing."