The contributions of this generation’s soldiers is not lost on Second World War veterans.
Justyn Desjardins, who served in Afghanistan from the winter of 2009 to the spring of 2010, participated in the Remembrance Day ceremony at Mount McKay with the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment on Monday.
The sergeant said there is a bond between the soldiers of the past and present
“The funny thing is the veterans would say they don’t want to go to Afghanistan and that we had a pretty tough time there,” Desjardins described. “Then we say you guys had it pretty tough in Normandy and Ortona so we have this mutual respect for each other.”
The tradition of holding a ceremony in the Fort William First Nation began in 1995 when Second World War veteran Pte. Frank Banning conceived the idea of honouring Aboriginal soldiers.
His daughter, Catherine, has been the master of ceremonies since the beginning and said having current soldiers, who performed a gun salute, makes the event have a greater impact.
“We really want to make sure we were here to honour the veterans on our land,” Banning said.
“We had a whole troop and 30 to 40 gentleman from the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment so it’s a huge honour they come up here. In the World War II times 30 per cent of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment were Aboriginal.”
With the number of World War II veterans decreasing every year, Desjardins acknowledged the importance of the new generation carrying their stories and experiences.
He knows the history is too valuable to lose.
“There’s a really big gap there, and it’s really important for my younger generation to pick it up,” he said. “We’re starting to get more involved in the planning of events around the city and it’s important we carry on that torch.”
Desjardins, who was born and raised in Thunder Bay and has nine years of military experience, said the swapping of stories on Remembrance Day is cathartic.
“It’s that one day of the year where everyone gets together as a family,” he explained. “We share our stories and remember our friends and it’s a time for everyone to be together to celebrate the good and the bad.”
Banning knows firsthand how important it is to carry on the legacy of veterans.
“It’s easy for us to forget when we don’t see it or live it every day but the veterans cannot be forgotten with the sacrifices they make,” Banning added. “They deserve the recognition.”
The ceremony was attended by students from Algonquin and Ècole Gron Morgan elementary schools as well as Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
They helped form a large crowd that braved the frigid below freezing temperatures and blustery winds to observe drumming songs, a musical rendition of the classic poem In Flanders’ Fields and a laying of wreaths.
Story continues after video...
Braving the cold was worth it to pay respects to veterans, Banning said.
“It’s a small sacrifice to be out here freezing,” she said. “It is quite cold and windy but the things they endured during the wars and peacekeeping missions its nothing compared to what they went through.”
