As we mark Canada Day, I thought it would be interesting for our readers on National Newswatch if I looked back to July 1, 1927, the 60^thanniversary of Confederation (officially known then, and until 1983, as Dominion Day). It was a historic day on the Hill, in 1927, as the Peace Tower was officially dedicated. What is less well-known is the story of a young American flyer who gave his life that day while he was helping his northern neighbours mark their national day. Fresh from making his solo flight across the Atlantic, the Americans sent the famed Charles Lindbergh to Ottawa in his equally famous plane, the Spirit of St. Louis. The flyer had 12 or so planes from the U.S. military escorting him. While performing for thousands of Canadians at Uplands Airport, the plane piloted by Lt. Thad Johnson crashed and the brave pilot was killed instantly. Despite the tragedy, Lindbergh, escorted by an RCMP honour guard in Red Serge, continued on to Parliament Hill for the ceremonies. With the news of Lt. Johnson's death, Prime Minister Mackenzie King and his government immediately organized a State Funeral to honour the visiting American who had died while honouring Canada. The young Lieutenant's body lay-in-state in the East Block. All of official Ottawa, from the Governor General to the Prime Minister on down, came out to pay tribute to Lt. Johnson. (After the tribute, Lt. Johnson's body was sent by train to Michigan for burial.) It has long been my thought that Canada should posthumously grant the American pilot honorary Canadian citizenship and assume the upkeep of the flyer's grave in Michigan (if his family would agree).  (In fact, it's possible it is a quiet gesture that Canada already undertakes; I hope so.) So, today as we mark the beginning of Confederation, I'm also going to raise a glass to the memory of Lt. Thad Johnson, an American friend and neighbour of Canada who sacrificed his life in assisting Canadians to mark that Dominion Day so long ago. Birthday alerts: Sending our birthday greetings today to Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, and MPs Scott Duvall and Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe. caption id="attachment_570810" align="aligncenter" width="456" Funeral procession for Lt. Johnson/caption caption id="attachment_570809" align="aligncenter" width="258" US Air Force Lt. Thad Johnson/caption Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist.  He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy.  A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.