COUNTRY'S HEROES atributetoour
Remembrance Day ceremonies across the North Shore
ABBY LUCIANO aluciano@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On the eleventh hour on the eleventh day on the eleventh month, people stand in silence to pay respects to those who served our country and lost their lives at war.
Leading up to Nov 11, people donate money to various charities and legions, with many wearing red poppies on the left side of their chest, over their heart.
Across the North Shore, there are several ceremonies and events – both grand and small – taking place to honour those who have served.
Here is the full list.
District of West Vancouver
The Royal Canadian Legion, West Vancouver Branch 60, will have their annual Cemetery Service at the Capilano View Cemetery on Sunday, Nov 10 at 2 p.m.
During the week of Oct. 30, crosses are placed at veterans graves by students from West Vancouver Secondary and Legion members.
West Vancouver’s legion is also running the annual Remembrance Day Parade and Ceremony on Nov 11, taking place at the
memorial arch in Memorial Park (1900 block, Marine Drive).
The parade departs at the legion on 18th Street at 10:45 a.m. to Memorial Park
(20th Street) with veterans, ceremony members, West Vancouver police and fire, army and air cadets, Scouts Canada and Girl Guides of Canada as well as the West Vancouver Youth Band performing.
This will be followed by a Ceremony of Remembrance, which begins at 10:50 a.m with the laying of wreaths. Mayor Mark Sager or acting mayor will lay the District of West Vancouver wreath, with a moment of silence following at 11 a.m.
City of North Vancouver
The City of North Vancouver will be pairing with the North Shore Veterans’ Council Canada to hold their annual Remembrance Day Ceremony and Parade.
The parade will begin at the Armoury at 9:15 a.m., led by the JP Fell Pipe Band, and will arrive at the Victoria Park Cenotaph at 10:35 a.m. with Mayor Linda Buchanan, council and other dignitaries.
The service will commence at 10:45 a.m. Following the ceremony, the parade will continue up Lonsdale Avenue to 15th
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LEST WE FORGET LESTWE FORGET
A soldier stands guard at a Remembrance Day ceremony held at North Vancouver’s Victoria Park on Nov. 11, 2023. MINA KERR-LAZENBY / NSN
OUR COUNTRY’S HEROES
North Van elementary students craft clay poppies
ABBY LUCIANO aluciano@nsnews.com
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Hundreds of poppies lay in front of Lynnmour Xá7elcha Elementary in North Vancouver to pay respects to soldiers as Remembrance Day approaches.
But this poppy display is different than what you’ll find growing in the ground or pinned to people’s chests. These poppies are made from clay, each symbolizing a Canadian soldier who died in the First World War.
Grade 4/5 teacher Paul Best has been doing the clay poppy project on and off since 2017, and this year the entire elementary school participated
“Doing this kind of project is like an act of remembrance, and makes it more important to [students],” Best said.
Students and teachers from kindergarten to Grade 7 came together to make the ceramic poppies over a span of 20 days.
Making the clay poppies is a multi-step
process. Students cut out a portion of clay with a cheese wire and rolled the clay out flat to make the shape of the poppy The clay would then be bent in the form of a poppy and put in a kiln at more than 1,000 degrees celsius to dry them out.
After this, students put a rod in as the stem and use epoxy glue and glaze to make the poppy stand and look nice.
“This is the community doing an art installation – one that each person has been part of or one that each person is going to take away that little part afterwards,” Best said.
“A lot of our former students still talk about their poppies that they got when they were in my class years ago.”
Best came across Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, a famous art installation at the Tower of London, where nearly 900,000 ceramic poppies filled the moat in 2014. The installation marked 100 years since Britain’s involvement in the First World War, each poppy representing a British military fatality
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Victoria Park CityofNorth Vancouver
Monday,Nov.11| 10am– Noon Parade followingthe ceremony
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Honour ourveterans and thosecurrently serving inthe military.
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OUR COUNTRY’S HEROES
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during the war
After Best returned from Vimy Ridge in France in 2017, marking 100 years since the battle, a colleague suggested the idea of commemorating British Columbian solders in the same way as the famous art installation.
The project has highlighted different soldiers over the years, including those from the North Shore and Indigenous soldiers.
As Best researched throughout the years, he stumbled upon his own history – his great
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Street, turn west and proceed back to the Armoury on Forbes Avenue.
Drivers are expected to see road closures from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. during the parade and ceremony. Lonsdale Avenue, East 14 Street and East Keith Road will be closed during that time. The 100 block of East Keith Road will be fully closed with no residential vehicle access during the ceremony.
The public is asked to gather at the Victoria Park Cenotaph by 10 a.m.
For those unable to attend in person, a livestream will be available at nsvcc.ca
grandfather’s nephew, George Best, from Northern Ireland served in the First World War.
“I’m from New Zealand and I come and find an unmarked grave near my school in Vancouver, and it happens to be my great grandfather’s nephew, how weird is that?” Best said.
The clay poppies will be on display at the elementary school’s front garden until Nov 8, and students will take the red flowers home for ceremonies they attend over the weekend and on Remembrance Day
District of North Vancouver
The District, North Vancouver Recreation & Culture and the Burrard Yacht Club will be holding their annual Remembrance Day Ceremony at Whey-ahWichen/Cates Park. The ceremony will take place Nov 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The Lynn Valley Legion will be holding a small, intimate Remembrance Day ceremony at their branch beginning at 10:45 a.m.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative. aluciano@nsnews.com
We veterans will march on Nov. 11, as long as we are able
I am an aging veteran and as long as I am able, I will attend a cenotaph ceremony on Nov. 11 and march in the Remembrance Day parade.
At the end of the Remembrance Day ceremony, we, the aging veterans, march off at the head of the parade led by the colour party With tired limbs and stiff joints, backs as erect as we can manage, we respond to the parade square commands that are forever in our memories, doing our best to maintain our dignity and honour our old units by not breaking ranks or losing the pace.
Up the street we head to the beat of the drums and drone of the pipes. As we pass, crowds assemble on both sides, standing, smiling, clapping and the occasional shout of “thank you for your service.” It brings warmth and displaces some of the chill that is always in the air. It is appreciated. But wait, it is not just us for whom you should be clapping. It is those following – the
regulars, the police, the reservists, the first responders, the Guides, the Scouts – give them the accolades too. Show them your appreciation. They crave and deserve recognition, your thanks, your support, for they are your protectors now. We the veterans are just the fading memories of times past, the dried leaves of bygone eras.
I have heard some folks say they do not attend Remembrance Day ceremonies as they refuse to celebrate the glory of war. To them I say this: there is no glory in war And Nov. 11 is not a day for celebration. It is a day to reflect on the horrors of war and pay tribute to those who came home broken, and those who do not respond to the roll call because they did not come home at all.
“Sir, they do not answer.”
We will remember them, and we will honour them with our attendance on Nov. 11.
David Holsworth North Vancouver
North Vancouver’s Dave Holsworth served in the Canadian Army Reserves from 1959 to 1963. Mostly based on the West Coast of B.C., he worked with a team tasked with responding to any potential Cold War nuclear attack on the Vancouver area.
Canadian army veteran Sgt. Dave Holsworth shares his thoughts about the importance of the military parade during Remembrance Day ceremonies. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN
Honour House marks nearly 14 years helping uniform personnel
ABBY LUCIANO aluciano@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Remembrance Day doesn’t only commemorate past military personnel and veterans, but also ones currently serving.
Located on a quiet street in New Westminster’s Queens Park is the Honour House Society, a place for Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, emergency service workers and their families to stay for free while receiving medical care and treatment in the Lower Mainland, including those from the North Shore.
The society has helped provide “a home away from home” to hundreds of people since they opened their doors nearly 14 years ago in November of 2010.
“Around Remembrance Day, people remember that we’re here to support our folks in uniform, our military, air force and veterans,” said Craig Longstaff, executive director for Honour House Society.
But it can be difficult at this time of year for military and veterans, Longstaff says, as they are re-remembering the lives that were lost, sometimes people close to them.
“We try and give people here at the house a bit of space and peace, and just let them do their thing, and leave them to their own devices here around that time,” Longstaff said. “It can be a bit tough on them.”
The Honour House is comprised of 11 bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and people can stay at the house for up to two weeks, or longer if an application is approved. It also has many other common spaces, such as a living room, sun rooms and a shared kitchen.
To be able to stay at the Honour House,
a military or emergency service worker must complete a referral form and get it signed by a referring agent like a supervisor, a Royal Canadian Legion executive member or a Veterans Affairs manager if a veteran. Applicants also need to provide a doctor’s note or email from a medical facility that confirms dates of medical treatment appointments
Once submitted, the referral is reviewed, and an Honour House staff member will let the person know if they have been approved.
In 2019 the society also launched Honour Ranch in Ashcroft, B.C., a facility that provides workers a place for treatment of operational stress injuries like PTSD, anxiety and depression to better navigate the pressures from their service.
“It was mainly because we get so many phone calls here from people struggling with [PTSD] and operational stress injuries that
we knew we needed to open a second facility,” Longstaff said.
The ranch offers a place for education and growth, providing different therapies ranging from group art therapy and the “hot and cold” treatment to clinical and physical therapists.
Veterans living in Canada experience higher rates of depression, anxiety and substance use disorder than the civilian population, with one in seven living with PTSD, according to a study in the Journal of traumatic Stress.
The Honour House Society relies solely on donations and fundraising to fund their operations and are one of the few organizations in Canada to offer this kind of support.
Now offering support to North Shore Rescue
Longstaff emphasized that it’s not just military and veterans using these services, but
also emergency staff like firefighters, police officers and search and rescue crew
Honour House is now offering further support to North Shore Rescue on the society’s ranch to help the volunteers who save lives every day.
“I feel they definitely need our support,” Longstaff said. “They literally save people’s lives week after week.”
Longstaff said they could use the ranch and stay there for around three days a week to put on their own mental health program, whether it be resiliency or trauma prevention.
North Shore Rescue isn’t like typical rescue units, Longstaff says, as they are comprised of skilled volunteers. Approximately 50 volunteers make up the team and perform around 130 search and rescue operations annually, with some lasting multiple days.
“It’s not just folks that are deployed to war zones,” Longstaff said. “It’s people here on our streets dealing with all the difficult things. If you’ve experienced anything traumatic in your life, you know how much it affects you.”
The Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) found between 10 to 33 per cent of search and rescue volunteers surveyed reported “severe enough symptoms to qualify for immediate mental health referrals.” The survey also found that 25.5 per cent of those surveyed reported intrusive experiences and 26 per cent of search and rescue crew face some level of burnout.
“So having supports available to these folks and giving them some support to make sure they can continue doing what they do best, which is looking after us,” Longstaff said.
Honour House is located in Queens Park in New Westminster, B.C. HONOUR HOUSE SOCIETY
Bosnia vet reflects on minesweeping, trauma and remembrance
BRENT RICHTER brichter@nsnews.com
Assunta Aquino is telling her war story at a pivotal time, both in her own life and in Canada’s relationship with its veterans.
The North Vancouver veteran served back-to-back tours of duty in Bosnia and Herzegovina, helping the country rid itself of deadly mines left over from a brutal conflict.
Following the 1991 dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Bosniak, Croat and Serb ethnoreligious groups took up arms, seeking their own independent states.
“It was just an all-out war. Everybody Every level. It didn’t matter. Children, not children. There was no differentiation,” Aquino said.
The United Nations, Europoean Union and NATO sought to bring peace and stability back to the region. According to the Department of National Defence, some 40,000 Canadian Forces members were deployed in the Balkan region between 1992 and 2010 as peacekeepers. Of those, 23 lost their lives in demining efforts, collecting and destroying weapons, monitoring and assisting with elections, and providing humanitarian assistance.
Fresh from her West Vancouver Secondary graduation in 1994, Aquino met a Canadian Forces member who’d just returned from deployment in Bosnia. The encounter motivated Aquino to enlist herself.
Within five years, she’d become an army engineer and been promoted to sergeant but, by then, Canada’s involvement in the Balkans had been drastically scaled back. It wasn’t until 2004 that she had the opportunity to deploy overseas and serve in a demining unit. She had the distinction of being the first ever woman deployed in that capacity
“It was rewarding. It was exactly my trade. It was what they needed,” she said. “They were left with nothing. No stability, no money, no structure. But a whole lot of mines.”
In her role, Aquino was responsible for four separate minefields, overseeing Bosniak demining teams as well as being called frequently to carefully help dispose of other unexploded ordnance turning up on roadsides and in people’s homes and yards.
“They would mine their own homes. They would mine the schools. They would mine the farms. Unfortunately, because records weren’t kept, they now still have I-don’t-evenknow-how-many hundreds of thousands of mines still in the ground.”
Aquino and her staff would delicately probe the soil with metal rods looking for anti-tank or anti-personnel mines lying in wait. Finding them was one thing. The dangerous part was getting them out of the ground and disposing of them.
“Usually we would demine, make a pile, and then on Fridays, at a specific time, we would blow all of those mines in place. We would blow probably 30 or 40 at once. It was huge,” she said.
The risk was real. Today, Aquino’s face strains as she recalls the traumatic day when she received her first injury and two of her team members were killed.
“I was in a minefield when another non-governmental agency blew their pile in place, which unfortunately then detonated mines in my minefield. And that’s when I lost deminers,” she said. “It took a very long time to get control of that minefield, because now none of you can move.”
Despite the pain, Aquino felt a sense of duty and stayed in Bosnia, signing on for another tour, this time under the auspices of the European Union
Two more severe injuries followed.
“Those would have been more major
to me,” she said. “Those are the ones I try and stay away from discussing, because they were multinational incidents that were gender specific.”
The contingent she belonged to was small, and she never reported the assaults.
“You accept that there are going to be problems in the minefield. There are going to be awful, awful things that happen. And you know that these, these other events, I just don’t even think you expect to happen,” she said. “It’s a big moral injury”
After the war
Aquino later had the opportunity to serve in Afghanistan but, by then, she was starting a family and priorities changed. And, although she tried to suppress the trauma, she was finding her experiences were affecting her ability to do the job.
“I then started to not be able to go out to the field. I was too scared to be out at night, and that you can’t really do as a combat engineer,” she said.
She stayed with the Canadian Forces working in desk jobs until 2015, when the cumulative impact of her injuries was too great to ignore and she was released for medical reasons.
Aquino used to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies religiously until a few years ago when she had no choice but to turn all of her attention toward her own mental health. It’s been a journey.
“I made a promise to myself that I would shout from the mountaintops, that mental health needs to be addressed in the military,” she said. “There shouldn’t be any shame attached.”
No small part of Aquino’s recovery has been her selection to represent Canada at the
Assunta Aquino, a Canadian Forces veteran who worked to clear minefields in Bosnia, reflects in her North Vancouver home. BRENT RICHTER / NSN
Dear Unknown Soldier:
Each year on Nov. 11, we’re asked to take time to honour those who gave their lives so that we might be free. You were one of them. You once had a life. People loved you. You loved people.
Today, you are a symbol of bravery and great sacrifice. You are also meant to stand as an example to us all of the horror and futility of war
As a post Second World War Boomer, I remember the stories told by those who came back. As a young child, these tales were about the antics you and your comrades got up to, the kind that broke the boredom and mitigated some of the terror As I matured, the dark and unthinkable began to seep into those story lines.
You saw sights I can’t bring myself to imagine. You felt fear I have been sheltered from. You endured hardships that made you tough, or broke you down, hardships I have never experienced You did not get to come home.
Those of your comrades who did come home were never the same. How could they be? Their experiences had redefined them, made them see the world they had come from with new and strange eyes
Many learned to create a new way of being, a new normal, and they enfolded themselves and their families into that safer place. But the memories were always there, lurking somewhere beneath the surface. And when they were in danger of bubbling over, those who came back found solace in each other
Others did not fare as well. Their experiences haunted them. Badly It was hard for them to find comfort. They lived, but their dreams and their will perished somewhere along the way And so, while they survived their war, the battle was not yet over for them, not for years afterwards … if ever.
These are the ones who might even have thought of you as the lucky one, hard as that may be to imagine. You died suddenly. They died a piece at a time. Tragedy lives in both places.
The popular motto associated with Remembrance Day is “Lest We Forget.” The fact that we in the world have always waged war tells me we are good at forgetting. Or perhaps we never knew, and still don’t know, how to be at peace.
The important thing for you to know is that we keep trying.
In time, I hope we will find ways to achieve more, even lasting, harmony In the meantime, we must learn to take better care of your comrades when they come home from whatever hellish situation we place them in. It’s the least we can do. They deserve something that goes beyond the pomp and ceremony of Remembrance Day Much more, I think you’d agree.
Thank you. I’m humbled by your courage and sacrifice. And I’m very grateful Gwyn Teatro North Vancouver
OUR COUNTRY’S HEROES
Lawrence Ovid (Smitty) Allard 1916-1994. Born in Sardis, BC
Served
Philip F Blades
March 24th 1924-December 16th 2006
Served in the Canadian Army World War II, 2nd Field Regiment, 10th Battery First Canadian Division 1942-1946 front line service as a Dispatcher in Sicily and then in occupied Germany
Albert Carnelley Brook
Flight Lieutenant Albert Carnelley Brook, Distinguished Flying Cross Served RCAF as Navigator based in England World War II. Died, Winnipeg January 26, 2010, age 93.
Wing Commander
H.H. Burnell 1908-1945 Harold flew in the RAF during the entire war, but was sadly killed in an air accident and buried in Italy. Awarded post-mortem the Distinguished Service Order at Buckingham Palace
The Fighting Cathcarts All eight brothers and one sister served active duty in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1939-1945 Left to right in picture: Bill, Dave, Red, Gene, Margaret, Ed, Bob, Tom, & Bert Cathcart.
Spr. HV Chisamore Served May 1941 – Dec 1945 5 CCC RCE, C. H. of O (M.G.) 33rd Fld Co, RCE UK, Holland, Germany
James Daniels WW I Vet. Joined the Army when he was only 15 years old and was not honest about his age
John Vernon Darney WW1- Royal Army RASC/England. L/Cpl. John Vernon Darney WW2 - Canadian Army/RCCS Died: 1977 Forever missed, forever loved. Rest In Peace, Dear Dad.
Pte.
John Ewens
OUR COUNTRY’S HEROES
Nadine Joseph
After leaving St. Paul’s Residential School she volunteered at age 18 in 1941 to serve with the Canadian Women’s Corps. She trained in Vermillion, Alberta. She was stationed in Victoria until 1945.
Cecil J Leonard
May 16 1920 - Sept 8 2019
As a dispatch rider supporting the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade in Italy (1943-45) he saw action from Sicily to Rome. He moved to North Vancouver in 1988.
Kelly Canadian Army.
Stanley John Kernaghan
Born in Cartwright, MB, 30 May 1921; enlisted in the RAF in 1940. Twice decorated: Distinguished Flying Medal [RAF] Libya, Middle East; Air Force Cross [RCAF] Nova Scotia, Canada. Married Agnes; had five children; lived in West Van for over 30 years; died in 2001.
Don Kettyls
B.Sc., MD., FRCP © served with the Royal Canadian Engineers. Upon discharge he studied medicine and later served as Chief Virologist for the province of BC.
Anchil “Ducky” Mack
Volunteered at age 40 on Dec. 6, 1941. He was trained in small arms and demolitions, but served with the Canadian Forestry Corps in Glasgow. The C.F.C. produced railway ties.
Marjorie Joan Mills
When her brothers all joined up, Joan left university and joined the civilian staff at the Admiralty Signals office in Cape Town for the duration of the war. She survived and married Donald’s friend in 1945. Joan passed away in 2017 at age 95 in Cape Town.
Edward Fred Marsden
1893-1984
Served two years with the Winnipeg Rifles’ “Little Devil Regiment” in France during WWI. Missing you still, grandpa.
Joseph Moody Volunteered at age 27 in 1941. He served in Canada, The United Kingdom and Europe. He was discharged in Vancouver in 1946.
Lawrence McGrath
Served in the Royal Canadian Army in WWII as a Tank Gunner in the 28th Armoured Regiment. Fought in the invasion of Normandy to liberate France. Always remembered, always missed.
Carole Newman
Carole Newman
Joined Canadian Navy in January ’57.
Basic training, CFB Cornwallis NS, then Esquimalt for medical training for nursing. Worked at military hosp. in Esquimalt, then transferred to HMS Stadacona military hosp., Halifax. Served in the military for 2 years.
Joined Canadian Navy in January ’57. Basic training, CFB Cornwallis NS, then Esquimalt for medical training for nursing. Worked at military hosp. in Esquimalt, then transferred to HMS Stadacona military hosp., Halifax. Served in the military for 2 years.
Paddy
Captain Donald Clement Mills Donald was the oldest son of Arthur served with the Allied forces in the South African Engineers Corps in Africa and Egypt in WWII. Donald died in Cape Town in 2008 at 90 years of age.
OUR COUNTRY’S HEROES
Sgt. Terrance John O’Rourke
Born Jan 24th, 1921. Died Jan 7th, 1999. He was a Navigator His wings were awarded to him in October 1942 in Chatham, Ontario Course #62 Air Observers, Also completed his Gunnery and Bomber course in Jarvis, Ontario in 1942
Flt. Lt.
J.W. Rothenbush D.F.C.
Pilot instructor then overseas, completing 30 combat missions flying Halifax and Lancaster bombers with the 434 Bluenose Squadron of the RCAF
Sgt Rochford Underhill
Served in the RAF as a Link Trainer during World War II, 1940 to 1946. Lived to the ripe old age of 95 What a life!
Thomas Williams
Volunteered in ’42, at 20 w/ the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada in England, France, Holland and Italy Wounded carrying a message across front lines. Slept for 3 days, awoke with scars on hip where doctors removed shrapnel. Received 7 medals.
Nickolas Pavlikis
Born 1923 in Prince Rupert BC; currently enjoys life with his wife Eleni in Lynn Valley Served in Europe during WW2 with the Seaforth Highlanders. Thank you Nick.
Private Catherine N. Schaff
Served in the Canadian Army during WWII. Bomb Girl in Ajax Ont., Motor Pool Halifax and Vancouver. Honoured by her 8 children.
SQDN-LDR G. Peter Vickers, DFC RCAF no 107 SQDN Reported missing Aug. 13, 1944 on 3rd tour of operations. Survived by sisters Babe Wild & Joan Elliott and their families.
Hilda Marjorie Wright/Yates
Served in the QMWAAC in the First World War in the transport division of the British Army She emigrated to Canada after the War, spent her retirement years in West Vancouver
Isabelle Garcia Phillips WWII Vet. Canadian Army
Flight Sgt. Fred Rannard Sr
Enlisted in Lethbridge AB Flew with the RCAF during World War II, over the Pacific, as a wireless air gunner Passed away September 9, 2015 at the age of 92.
Cpl. John Schaff 1920 to 2005. Served in the Canadian Army during WWII. Member of 16th L.A.A. Battery, RCA. Beloved father, remembered by his 8 children and wife of 59 years.
Private Albert Walker WW1- Canadian Expeditionary Force Canadian Railway Troops Served in France Died: 1972 Forever Missed, Forever Loved Rest In Peace, Dear Grandad
Harvey Fletcher Young
Born May 30, 1916, Moose Jaw Sask. Served 1935-1938 in the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. Served 19441946 in the Royal Canadian Navy. Raised a son and daughter in Vanc Proud Grandfather of Eric and Neil Passed away July, 1996.
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As Remembrance Day approaches, the Honour House Society travels to cenotaphs across the Lower Mainland to lay wreaths and pay respect to those who served our country, Longstaff said.
The Honour House receives support from many Royal Canadian Legion branches and receive donations through the Poppy Fund. They also hold their own fundraisers.
Their Wildest Dreams Raffle is raising money for men and women in uniform, with the winner receiving a pair of floor seats tickets to Taylor Swift’s concert at BC Place in December. The deadline to donate is Nov. 13, and the winner will be announced Nov 15 at 1 p.m.
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2025 Invictus Games in Whistler Invictus, which is Latin for “unconquered,” was founded by Prince Harry as a means celebrate the fighting spirit and capabilities of sick and wounded veterans and service personnel.
Aquino has been training hard for the games where she will compete in alpine skiing, sitting volleyball, swimming, and skeleton.
Jessie (Millar) Swail
Jessie (Millar)
Jessie Millar served in the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (the “Wrens”) during WWII, serving at naval base HMCS Protector in Sydney, NS and at naval headquarters HMCS Ottawa in ON With gratitude for serving your country, the Swail family
Jessie Millar served in the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (the “Wrens”) during WWII, serving at naval base HMCS Protector in Sydney, NS and at naval headquarters in Ottawa. With gratitude serving your country, the Swail family.
Private Norman Walker
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals Killed in action in Valguarnera, Sicily 18 July 1943, Age 26 Laid to rest in Agira Canadian War Cemetery, Agira, Sicily
R.I.P dear Uncle Norman
“It really did make me feel alive again,” she said. “It gave me the push to realize that I still have skills.”
In 2023, she made her return to a cenotaph on Nov 11 and found a family’s embrace among some of her 6th Field Engineer Squadron.
“It was good to be back,” she said. “It was good to feel that.”
Remembering modern veterans
Canada’s Remembrance Day traditions are sacred. But they’re also highly oriented toward the First World War and Second World War. The last known surviving Canadian veteran of the First World War died in 2010. And the Second World War vets who remain with us would be over 100 today.
With Bosnia, Canadians don’t have the same level of understanding about the nature of the conflict, why we were there and what our veterans’ contributions were, Aquino said.
“It was a short war in comparison, and it was between a bunch of factions that I think no one really understood or had any education about,” she said “Unless that’s explained to you, it’s really hard to understand.”
It’s partly what motivates Aquino to speak about her service, including going into schools to help share the story. It helps to keep the continuity of remembrance alive, even as we lose our living connections with the two World Wars.
“It’s staying alive because we are committed all over the world. Every day It doesn’t change. Whether it’s World War Two or Syria or Bosnia or Afghanistan, we are still serving all around the world, and we still need to remember that,” she said.
Since the end of the Second World War, every Canadian who has served in the military has done so by choice. And always, Aquino said, it has been out of a drive to offer help. It’s a message she hopes resonates with people as they attend a Remembrance Day ceremony or don a poppy this year
“Yes, I feel like the Canadians that put up their hands voluntarily to go, that’s why they’re there,” she said.
Philip Zastre
Rifleman with Royal Winnipeg Rifles at age 24, Pigeon Lake MB Killed in the evening of D-Day, laid to rest in war cemetery, Calvados Beny-SurMer France RIP Uncle Philip