Category: Brave Canadians
We Will Remember Him
| 5/31/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who 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
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
Master Cpl Darrell Priede – Afghanistan May 30, 2007
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
We Will Remember Him
| 5/25/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who 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
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
Cpl Matthew McCully – Afghanistan May 25, 2007
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
State Funeral Unlikely
| 5/10/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians, Canadian News, General |
The family of Dwight Wilson has appealed for privacy as they prepare to bury their patriarch who was one of two remaining Canadian veterans of World War One. His death yesterday leaves one survivor, John Babcock of Spokane, Washington, who has been an American citizen for 60 years. Mr Wilson will have a private family funeral with military honours which pretty much eliminates a state funeral for the last surviving WW1 veteran.
Last fall the Dominion Institute gathered 90,000 signatures on a petition to the government to have a state funeral for the last WW1 veteran. The House of Commons unanimously supported the proposal. State funerals are usually reserved for prime ministers and governor generals. It is possible for others to receive a state funeral but has rarely occurred. Babcock has previously made it clear that he doesn’t want a state funeral. His American citizenship may make it difficult to do so.
The Prime Minister may choose to personally offer Mr Babcock a state funeral. Since the purpose of the state funeral is to mark the passing of the living memory of the ‘Great War’, the last of the generation of Canadians who served in a conflict which was part of the shaping of the nationhood of this country.
While it takes more than war to define a nation, the mark that it makes on a nation can not be ignored. Over 600,000 Canadians joined up to serve in WW1 and over 60,000 gave their lives in that conflict. It would be fitting for some manner of marking the passing of the last of their generation. While not done before it somehow wouldn’t be impossible to hold a state service for that purpose.
Then there was ONE – Canadian WW1 Veteran Dwight Wilson Dies
| 5/9/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians, Canadian News |
Dwight Wilson, one of two remaining Canadian World War 1 veterans, died today at the age of 106. The other WW1 Canadian veteran has resided in the US since the 40′s. There is no word yet if the Canadian government is going to hold a state funeral for Mr Wilson.
I recently spoke to the Vice President of Ontario Provincial Command of the Royal Canadian Legion. He had met Mr Wilson in a VIP room prior to the Vimy Dinner held at Br. 258 Highland Creek in Scarborough. He was delighted at having met Mr Wilson. He commented how alert and aware he was and just a pleasure to converse with.
Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto announced his passing:
The flags have been lowered to half-mast at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada’s largest veterans care facility to honour the passing of Percy “Dwight†Wilson, First World War veteran.
A resident of the veterans’ wing at Sunnybrook, Mr. Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 106. His passing leaves one known surviving Canadian First World War veteran, Mr. John Babcock who lives in Spokane, Washington. (read more)
You may want to read the Sunnybrook link. It contains a very detailed biography of Mr. Wilson along with some excellent pictures.
Veterans Affairs Canada issued this statement today:
The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, encouraged Canadians to celebrate and remember the life of Canadian First World War Veteran Dwight Wilson who passed away at age 106 on May 9, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Wilson was the youngest of the last two remaining Canadian First World War Veterans known to the Canadian Government.
“I would like to express my sympathy to the family and friends of Dwight Wilson, who died today at age 106,” said Minister Thompson. “Every time we lose Veterans such as Mr. Wilson, we lose a direct link to an important part of our history. This loss reminds us of how important it is for all Canadians, especially youth, to reflect on our past and celebrate Veterans’ contributions to our country.”
Mr. Wilson was born February 26, 1901 in Vienna, Ontario. In 1915, he trained as a bugler in the militia and in July of the following year, at age 15, he enlisted. Discharged twice for being too young, the determined boy showed bravery at a very young age. Since June 2006, Mr. Wilson had been a resident of Kilgour wing at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, in Toronto, Canada’s largest Veterans’ care facility.
With the passing of Mr. Wilson, the only known surviving Canadian Veteran of the First World War is John F. Babcock of Spokane, Washington.
We Will Remember them.
We Will Remember Him
| 4/19/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who 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
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
Anthony Klumpenhower – special forces member –Afghanistan Apr 19, 2007
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
Special Forces Member Killed
| 4/19/2007 | Posted by Patti under Afghanistan, Brave Canadians |
Just as I released the post at the top of my blog for the six Canadians killed Easter Sunday word is released that another Canadian soldier has died in Afghanistan. This one wont be named as he was a member of our special forces. It is not being confirmed that he was a member of the JTF2 force that is operating somewhere in Afghanistan, but it is likely he was.
We Will Remember Them
| 4/12/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who 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
In memory of our fallen Canadians:
Mst Cpl Allan Stewart –Afghanistan Apr 11, 2007
Tpr Patrick Pentland –Afghanistan Apr 11, 2007
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
We Will Remember Them
| 4/9/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who 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
In memory of our fallen Canadians:
Sgt Donald Lucas –Afghanistan Apr 8, 2007
Pvt Kevin Kennedy –Afghanistan Apr 8, 2007
Cpl Aaron E. Williams –Afghanistan Apr 8, 2007
Pvt David R. Geenslade –Afghanistan Apr 8, 2007
Cpl Christopher P Stannix –Afghanistan Apr 8, 2007
Cpl Brent Poland –Afghanistan Apr 8, 2007
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
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