Canadian veterans say they’re worried wounded will be forgotten as wars fade

LONDON, England – A group of Canadian soldiers and veterans, many of them struggling with post traumatic stress, have arrived in London after a gruelling six-day cycling ride from Paris.

They took part in an event put on by the British-based charity Help for Heroes, which gathered 300 riders from the United Kingdom, Canada and the U.S., including a number of amputees who lost limbs in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The entire group stopped at various battlefields in northern France, and received a huge welcome in London as they ended the ride at Horse Guards Parade.

Most of the Canadians took part under the sponsorship of the charity Wounded Warriors Canada.

Dave Penasse, a former armoured vehicle driver who served in Bosnia, says he’s concerned that as the war in Afghanistan becomes a distant memory for the public, people will forget about the 2,047 who were wounded physically and mentally.

His sentiment is echoed by Bryn Parry, co-founder and chief executive of Help for Heroes, who says most memorials are to the dead, but he says one should be erected to the wounded.