Feature Article November 6, 2003
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeFor the Fallen- We Shall Remember Them"They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end, against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.
from The Fallen by Lawrence Binyon
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the Legion, with the help of soldiers from CFB Kingston, will gather the community together to remember 1918, when the guns fell silent to end WW1, " the War to end all Wars".
In the late 1940's the Legion was formed by veterans helping veterans to receive aid for the sick, pensions and to maintain the comradeship that was so crucial when in action. Every phase of the Legion would be in remembrance of their fallen comrades.
Sixty thousand laid down their lives for Canada in WW1. When Branch #425 (Sharbot Lake) was formed, the membership was made up of many of the WW1 Veterans, some of whom had been gassed when taking positions that France and England had not taken, at Vimy Ridge, Paschendale and Aminas. There were also Veterans from WW11 who had fought in the air, sea and land. Canadas loss was 56,000. Our Navys losses in the Battle of the Atlantic alone were 28 ships lost & 2,000 sailors. The Merchant Navy had 70 ships sunk and approximately 2,000 sailors perished.
We still have veterans from the Korean War, who have recently been awarded their own monument in Ottawa; 550 were lost in that war.
Today we also remember the many Peace Keeping Forces who have been wounded and killed during the past 40 years throughout the world, and recently our wounded and killed in Afghanistan.
The Legion President, Branch 425, Dan Bush, would like to thank the community and comrades for their continuing support, and reminds everyone that the Legion is here to assist veterans and their spouses. You do not need to be a member of the Legion to have our organization assist you. We also support various community and charitable organizations and youth programs. Some of our donations are: four Bursaries each year to S.L.H.S., helping students to continue their education. North Frontenac Food Bank, S.L. Public School, Hinchinbrooke Public School, N.F.C.S., VON, and our Friday Night Dinners go out to 20 plus shut-ins.
To do this, our Comrades volunteer their time cooking, delivering dinners, selling tickets and hosting functions. When people of the surrounding communities support our endeavors, it gives the volunteers the satisfaction that what they do is appreciated.
The Thinning Ranks of The Legion Veterans:
Top l-r: Al Hardiman Peacekeeper; Vernon Crawford Peacekeeper; Norman Garneys -Navy; Don Antoine Army; Al Gilpin - Tank Corp, wounded in Holland; Jack Brule Peacekeeper. Bottom l-r: Brian Berryman Navy; Ken Hollywood - Army, twice wounded; Lola Kirkham - daughter WW1 Vet Scotty Meldrum; Karl Hansen Padre; Brenda Garret - British navy; Joy Gilpin - British Army; Roscoe Garret - Army Engineers
