He phoned over my Tuesday column about restoring pride and morale in the Armed Forces by bringing back the distinctions of Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Army. And, with the RCAF, its traditional rank designations replacing the present Army ones.

The Canadian Alliance leadership hopeful was responding to the challenge put to him by a "captain'' in the "Air Element'' to revert to the way it once was should Day wind up as prime minister.

His challenge was fueled by Day's recent and absolutely correct statement that our Armed Forces need more money, better equipment, and that it's his goal to see it happen.

But, Day was a bit stung by the officer's charge that politicians (implying Day) have little or no understanding of the importance and necessity of military pride through the symbols that foster it (three distinct services and ranking systems), because "most'' of them have never served.

And my own comment that if Day doesn't take action, then he doesn't know esprit de corps from an apple core.

Judging from the many calls and e-mails I've received from military personnel, current and former, there's strong support for returning to three distinctly-separate services and their own rankings.

"The RAF hasn't been made by its government to sell out its pride to the British Army,'' said a caller. "It's still Royal Air Force, with its Air Force rankings, and bloody proud of it. My uncle was a proud squadron leader in the famous air Battle of Britain, not some Army major. If our naive, wimp governments could get away with it, we wouldn't even have a military.''

Stockwell Day, in a pleasant manner, laid out where he's coming from in his own life on military pride, morale, and symbolisms, and why when he says what he says, he means business.

"I think you were a bit tough on me,'' he said, "given the fact that I've tabled a policy paper on restoring pride and resources to the Armed Forces. It's part of my position, and I've talked about it actually. It's part of the Alliance position to, in fact, look at the distinctive breakdowns of Navy, Army, and RCAF. Absolutely, it's something I've talked about publicly.

"My grandfather on my father's side in the First World War was paralyzed in the legs because of shrapnel. When he came home, he was driving one of the first cars equipped with hand controls because he couldn't use his legs. He was killed in an accident driving that car.

"My grandfather on my mother's side was a Hong Kong veteran, and he was captured at Hong Kong. He spent the remaining years of the war in a prisoner of war camp. He was still alive when the war was over, but he never got out of hospital when he got back. He died from the torture and treatment as a PoW

"My father served with the Navy in the North Atlantic in the Second World War as a sub-lieutenant. I was a member, when I lived in Ottawa and attended Ashbury College, of the Governor General's Foot Guards, No. 137 cadet corps, and had the honour of being inspected by then governor general (Georges P.) Vanier.

"So, I can assure you that my history, me feelings, my heart, and my head run very deeply with the knowledge of the pride of our Armed Forces in the last century, and I want to see its restoration in the 21st century.

'Embarrassing'

"I have been very detailed about our need to raise our commitment to NATO from the present 1.1% of GDP to 2.1%. It's embarrassing when our prime minister cannot meet the NATO commitment to have a brigade and a battalion in a foreign field within that time limit.

"As you know, we could only send 800 people into Kosovo in that time limit. We couldn't even send a wing of aircraft over there, which is about 36 aircraft of varying configuration. We sent over 18 CF-18s. No fault of the pilots themselves, they are to be commended. Those pilots flew 600 missions.

"So, I am very supportive of this -- I am very supportive of returning the distinctions of Canadian Navy, Army, and RCAF, and the very clear ranks that go with them. I'm well aware of the pride a wing commander (RCAF), would have in his own designation, as with the others.

"They are all on the planning table should we be elected, and I hope all those in the Armed Forces would join with me in making it happen. My campaign is called 'Taking The Next Step.' I will return the encouragement of the people if they are concerned and want to return the pride.''

McRae can be reached at (613) 739-5133, ext. 469 or emailed at earl_mcrae@ottawasun.com.