Despite temperatures reaching approximately 30 C a handful of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28 members, and members of the community participated in Decoration Day at the Veterans’ Section of the Humboldt Public Cemetery on June 4.
Decoration Day, which is always on the first Sunday in June, if possible, due to its close proximity to the D-Day landings in Normandy, sees both legion and community members place flags at the graves of all veterans.
Padre Rev. Al Hingley, who presided over a small ceremony before the flags were placed, noted having Decoration Day every year was an important way to continue to remember the veterans’ sacrifices.
“If we don’t remember who else is going to?”
Hingley was especially pleased to see members of the community join them for the ceremony.
“It is with them that we are sharing and it is with them that they too will keep alive these sacrifices that make Canada.”
Hingley admitted that we live in a very busy world, where they are many things happening on any given day, but says if they can find a small window of time that allows people to join them it is nice to do so.
“At least they’ve been reminded again,” he noted.
He notes that all members of the community are welcome and invites them to take part next year.
During the ceremony Hingley also made note of Vimy Ridge, saying it was especially important to note this year because of its 100th anniversary.
“I neglected to say (during the ceremony) on the 150th anniversary of Canada. But I think it’s important to remember because it is that often referred to act that solidified us as a nation and we then fought as Canadians.”
The Veterans’ section has a small Vimy memento as well, notes Hingley as they recently planted an oak tree, which sprouted in his garden.
The significance of the oak tree at Vimy goes back to a soldier farmer from Ontario.
The farmer noticed during the Battle of Vimy Ridge that there was a mass of oak trees being destroyed so he gathered up a handful of acorns and sent them home to Ontario.
The soldier’s family planted the trees, which have since grown, developed and multiplied, with the saplings from those tress being sent back to Vimy to be planted there.
“So this oak tree appeared in our garden and so I talked to the legion about it so we decided we would plant a Vimy oak in our veterans plot."
