Happy Canada Day!

Trooper James Lavoie, of Calgary, shows his true Canada Day colours on Wednesday, July 1, 2009, at Canadian forward operating base Ma'sum Ghar, Afghanistan. Lajoie said he would celebrate by 'staying alive' and having fun.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel

The troops are celebrating Canada Day...

Members of Lord Strathcona's Horses, for example, decked out their tanks with several small Maple Leafs that fluttered colourfully against the drab camouflage brown and green as the Leopards rolled out from this small forward operating base in the dangerous Panjwaii district.

Trooper James Lajoie, of Calgary, sporting a bright red tie with white maple leaf over his combat fatigues, joked his celebration would be to "stay alive." He made no apologies for his non-regulation outfit.

"We got a whole bunch of good Canada stuff from home, so figured we'd put it on for the day, celebrate as much as we can, keep the spirits and morale high," Lajoie said after taping a flag to the tank's barrel.

While Lajoie said Canada Day was special, it was "good to be a Canadian every day."

Amen to that. It's damned good to be Canadian.

For those of you who want to send a message to our troops - and today would be a good day to do that - here's where you can do that online.

From all of us here at The Torch, have a safe and happy Canada Day!