John Welykholowa, one of the very few veterans of the Second World War still active in the Kamsack branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, was presented with the Volunteer-of-the-Year award at the Remembrance Day banquet on Friday.
“Johnny has been a member of the Legion for 71 years,” said Jim Woodward, Legion branch president, as he presented him with a gift. “Thank you for all the great stuff you’ve done.”
The presentation culminated an evening of celebration, dining and reflection on the debt all owe the country’s veterans.
With Robert Boudreau as emcee, the program included the presentation of a birthday cake to Erla Rudd, long-time and much appreciated member of the Legion. The Kamsack air cadets served the traditional roast beef meal and Legion members and guests heard an active member of the air force talk about a generational change in the Canadian Air Force and the Legion.
Bringing greetings on behalf of town council and the community, Mayor Nancy Brunt said she had read about a time when Legions would no longer be needed because all the veterans would have passed on.
“This gave me pause as I wondered would there ever be a time where there are no veterans? That would mean there are no soldiers, no navy, no air force and most amazingly of all, no war,” Brunt said. “If ever that should happen, I believe we would still have legions because we would still need to remember those who fought to bring about everlasting peace.
“Unfortunately, we are highly unlikely to see that in our lifetime or in our children’s.
“What we will see is a Legion continuing to remember those who fought and still fight for our country, a Legion that helps veterans, serving military, RCMP members and their families,” she said. “With Legions closing in other communities due to a lack of membership, we can be proud that we still have a dedicated group here in Kamsack.”
Brunt quoted the Legion’s website which recognizes the crucial role that youth play in the growth of communities and said that in Kamsack there is “an amazing group of cadets and cadet leaders who show our community their skills which they will carry with them wherever they go.”
As the guest speaker, Maj. Shannon Woodward, currently posted at Fredericton, NB., and daughter-in-law of Jim Woodward, acknowledged “the tremendous sacrifices made by the heroic soldiers, sailors and airmen during the Great War, the Second World War, the Korean War, Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan.
“I want to praise the efforts of our current service members engaged in ongoing operations in places such as Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan,” she said, mentioning the important role of veteran support institutions such as the Royal Canadian Legion.
Woodward said that this year marks the centennial of the Battle of the Somme, a four-month battle known as one of the deadliest military offensives in history. She said that April 9 will mark the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge where “meticulous planning, extensive training and powerful artillery facilitated the Canadian Corps’ capture of the ridge on the first day of attack, but three days later, the Canadians had suffered over 10,000 casualties.
This year also marks the 15th anniversary of Canada’s mission to Afghanistan, she said, adding that in it a total of 159 Canadian soldiers died and more than 2,000 returned home injured.
“My husband, Tim, returned home safely,” she said.
“Canada learned much from this war; public faith and support in the Canadian Armed Forces surged. A renewed sense of national patriotism grew and our nation’s youth began demonstrating a larger feeling of identity in what it means to be Canadian.
“From a horrific war emerged a tremendous sense of pride in our soldiers, sailors and airmen.
“Canada learned that war still comes at a cost,” she said referring to those who died.
“So let us remember those who have served and paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live free and better lives,” she said. “Let us also remember those who have served and returned not the same as they were when they left, for inside they still fight a war they may never come back from.”
Woodward said that she has served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 17 and a half years as a tactical helicopter pilot in units throughout the country.
“Today’s military is professionally educated and well-equipped,” she said. “Our training standards are revered as some of the best in the world. The Canadian Armed Forces truly embody the definition of ‘profession of arms.’ Today’s service members are technologically savvy, compassionate, tolerant, dedicated and deeply loyal to our planet. We are a true cross-section of Canadian culture; we are Christian, Muslim, Indigenous and Asian. We are women, we are mothers and fathers and grandparents. We are ready for the next mission, but some of us are still healing from the last one.
“We need each other. Today’s and tomorrow’s armed forces members and the Royal Canadian Legion need to unite now more than ever.
“The Legion must evolve. Where Legion members of days gone by had a deep sense of commitment to family and community, we have a deep sense of commitment to our world. The Legion must be accepting and tolerant. Let there be no restrictions on how we honour our fallen; we must remember them.”
Woodward said that when looking at the Kamsack Legion she sees all the elements of that evolution.
“I see a vibrant and growing membership and a building that has become a beacon to the community,” she said. “I see care and attention and an assembly of people who want to engage with the new generation. Well done, Kamsack.”
She said that the newest generation of Canadian forces leaders have a weighty task in that the days of corporal and verbal punishment are gone and today’s leaders have motivational skill sets that go beyond those methods. They are creative, inspiring and influential.
“As Legion leadership ages, who better to accept this task than these young and creative minds? Recruit them now. Invite them into the echelons of this hierarchy and employ their ideas. The new veterans and the old veterans are not so different. It is no easier today to send a spouse off to war or to lose a beloved friend. The generational gap is not so large; loyalty, honour and duty have long stood the test of time and continue to do so.
“It is not enough to recruit only as we retire; recruit while we serve so that we may learn and embrace your traditions.
“Our mission is to serve veterans and serving members,” she said, adding that serving members most assuredly need help.
Seventy veterans have died by suicide following the Afghanistan war, she said. The creation of the Royal Canadian Legion was to help returned servicemen in need.
“That need has never disappeared. We have become increasingly inefficient at fulfilling that need. Now is the time to renew our purpose and actively seek out our returned servicemen and women; to recreate that sense of belonging and healthy reflection.
“One suicide of a hero returned home is one suicide too many.
“We millennials are not so different,” Woodward said. “We are your nation’s children. We are the future of the Royal Canadian Legion.”
Echoing his wife’s comments, Maj. Tim Woodward said that he had participated in a 22-day challenge for post-traumatic stress disorder which has raised awareness of a condition that will not be going away and needs support.
He thanked the Legion for the welcome extended to him and his wife.
