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Did an impostor pass himself off as a Canadian soldier during this week’s Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial?

That was the question being asked after the Department of National Defence said Wednesday it has no record of any employee by the name of Franck Gervais — or Sgt. Franck Gervais. That’s how a man dressed in a soldier’s uniform identified himself during a nationally televised interview at Tuesday’s ceremony.

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CBC reporter Diana Swain interviewed the man, who was wearing the uniform of a senior non-commissioned officer in the Royal Canadian Regiment.

“For me it’s really important to remember that people have fought for our freedom. They didn’t fight for themselves,” the man told the network.

The CBC released this statement on Wednesday:

“During CBC’s extensive coverage of Remembrance Day commemorations in Ottawa, we interviewed many veterans and serving members of the Canadian Forces. These included one man who had been standing among a group of uniformed personnel. To civilian eyes, he appeared to be an authentic soldier,” the statement said. “We have since learned that he was not, that his uniform was not correct, and that he was wearing medals he had not earned. All this was drawn to our attention by veterans and serving members, who were understandably angry at seeing this counterfeit soldier. We regret this, and are following up to learn more about the man.”

The man also spoke to an Ottawa Citizen reporter Tuesday, saying in comments not previously printed: “We fought together. It’s brothers.”