Westlock Clyde and Jarvie honoured the fallen and the living at Remembrance Day ceremonies Nov. 11. And leading into the Friday ceremonies, schools throughout the area held pre-Remembrance Day events, including the No Stone Left events held Nov.
Westlock Clyde and Jarvie honoured the fallen and the living at Remembrance Day ceremonies Nov. 11.
And leading into the Friday ceremonies, schools throughout the area held pre-Remembrance Day events, including the No Stone Left events held Nov. 7 and Nov. 2.
The town remembered some of its greatest to a packed Westlock and District Community Hall last Friday morning.
Westlock Legion president Dave Linsley emceed the event and Legion Chaplain Marjorie Steele lead the prayer service with Legion Auxiliary president Kay Malmas reciting Psalm 23.
Bugler Alex Shabert played the Last Post and Reveille while piper Doug Whistance-Smith played the Lament. Carolyn Stolee played the piano and flutist Mina Kwan sung O Canada and provided musical accompaniment.
Wes Latimer, the nephew of Second World War veteran Sandy Latimer, recounted a story his uncle had in Germany during the war.
'Sandy took his training, he snuck away from home because he didn't have permission from his mother to fight in World War Two," said Latimer.
'(Sandy's unit) were in northern Germany. They did not know where they were, they did not know where the front lines were. Sandy can't even remember the name of the town in northern Germany."
The younger Latimer said he uncle was on guard duty and he heard something coming up the road. He didn't know quite what it was, but he wasn't too worried because they were coming down the same road his unit had followed.
'Then he got a whiff of the exhaust of the vehicle," said Latimer, noting the Germans were synthesizing their fuel from coal, which gave it a different smell.
'This got him really excited, because he knew there were Germans on the way, but he didn't know how many.
'So he ran into the house and yelled at his Sergeant, Sgt. Grant, who said
‘Get out there, you know what to do.'"
When Sandy and his unit got out they saw a German half-track and fired on it with their six-pound, anti-tank gun.
'So they shot at it, and they started backing up. They fired (the six pounder) and it glanced and he could see the flash of light where it struck the German half-track.
'At this point, because of the damage, the six pounder has a recoil mechanism. The shell went towards the German half-track, which it struck, and the rest of the barrel went down the street, about 40 metres or so. He now was facing a German half-track with small arms. Fortunately for him, the half-track kept moving and he was freed," said Latimer. 'But it may not have ended that way."
The cosy Clyde Community Hall was nearly packed with a 100 people for its Remembrance Day ceremony that same morning.
The informal service was wrapped in a sense of community that kept a sombre mood from subduing the day of reflection.
Volunteers from the Clyde and District Ag Society made the event possible, with some help from two Grade 5 students who volunteered to read In Flanders Fields. A Westlock RCMP constable and several veterans from Clyde also stepped in to fill out the Colour Party.
Pianist Evelyn Calkins and the Merrymakers choir provided the musical accompaniment.
'It's not structured, it's very relaxed and people feel comfortable here," said Village of Clyde mayor Doug Nyal after the service.
'It's what makes our community who we are. The Village of Clyde is a unique little community. The people who came today and come every year, a lot of them are residents who have moved away. They like to come back."
But the service was not without respect for the sacrifices that Canadian Armed Forces have made.
Navy veteran Isaac Brower-Berkhoven organized and emceed the ceremony, paying tribute to Clyde's fallen during the roll call and acknowledging the contributions of those who lived on.
Special guest Rev. Chris Lantz provided a message of hope to the attendees, emphasizing that with remembrance comes a duty to act.
'If you remember, you'll do something about it," he said.
'Remembrance Day begins with a memory, but it soaks into the hands, the feet, into the lives of each one of us. Nov. 11 is a strong reminder of the necessity of diligence, of sacrifice, of kindness and compassion and unity, the necessity of peace.
'These are the things that we honour today. These are things we're called to remember. If we truly remember that, these are the things we'll commit to as individuals and as a community. As a truly wonderful, truly beautiful, truly brilliant community."
Roughly 100 people attended the Jarvie Nov. 11 service and organizer Jim Turnbull says 25 wreaths were laid.
In addition, Donna Beamish shared the story of the War Horses, which were used in various capacities during war time, noting that in the First World War alone, more than eight million perished.
As well, between 1914 and 1917, 1,000 horses were shipped daily from North America to Europe.
