YORKTON — The Royal Canadian Legion General Alexander Ross Branch No. 77 held a D-Day memorial service the evening of June 6 at the Yorkton City Cemetery.
The ceremony commemorated the 81st anniversary of the Normandy Invasion.
Veterans, RCMP, local dignitaries, scouts, cadets, family of deceased veterans and the general public were in attendance for the event.
Legion padre for the service was Rev. Allan Rundel. Master of Ceremonies was Yorkton Legion President Brittany Johnson, and Sgt.-at-arms and parade commander was Barry Whitehead.
Music for the event was supplied by Yorkton and District Pipe Band, the Yorkton Tribal Council Drum Group, Briana Shymanski sang O Canada and Dean Peterson was the bugler for the evening.
Over 10,000 Canadian sailors in 110 warships, 15 RCAF squadrons and 14,000 soldiers took part in D-Day. Juno Beach, one of five assault beaches, was assigned to the Canadian Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and 2nd Armoured Brigade, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.
There were 1,074 Canadian casualties, including 359 killed. By the end of the Normandy Campaign an estimated 5,020 Canadians had been killed, added the Canadian Encyclopedia article.
