PDF - The Highland Heart

Volume 11 Issue 19
Antigonish & Guysborough Edition
November 5th - November 11th 2015
FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE
Article written by Ryan MacKinnon
In March of 1942, British Combined Operations
Command, proposed the creation of an elite commando unit. This unit was to be capable of fighting
in mountainous and winter like condition behind
enemy lines for long periods of time. At the time
the British did not have the resources available to
create such a commando unit and the idea was
proposed to the United States Army. Lieutenant
Colonel Robert Frederick was ordered to study if
the U.S. could organize such a force. Frederick
concluded that a small elite force would not cause
enough damage to the enemy that could justify the
losses they would suffer.
ing the newly created First Special Service Force at
Fort William Henry Harrison in Helena, Montana.
Not an easy task considering that Frederick was
starting from scratch and had absolutely no experience leading men in combat.
Frederick wanted to build the Force out of tough
and rugged men who could survive in the wilderness. Preference was given to men with pre-war
experience as woodsmen, lumber jacks, hunters
and prospectors. Although this did not restrict other men from volunteering, including tough city
boys, farmers, fishermen and one recruit who
listed his pre-war vocation as professional ballroom
dancer.
American commanders completely disagreed with
Frederick’s conclusions. They ordered the force be
created and to be made up of three equal parts.
One part American, one Canadian and one Norwegian. While American and Canadian recruits were
easily available, Free Norwegian forces were not as
easy to come by. Lord Louis Mountbatten took it
upon himself to find a commander for this unit. He
wanted someone who could take the impossible
and make it possible. His choice would be one of
the great ironies of the war, Lt. Col. Robert Frederick.
By July of 1942 Frederick was tasked with organiz-
Malcolm ‘Mallie’ MacKinnon (left), Ryan MacKinnon’s grandfather, was a member of the First Special Service Force (FSSF). This picture was taken in
Rome just after the FSSF liberated it.
Picture above is the shoulder patch which was worn
by the FSSF. It was a red arrowhead and their service insignia was a set of crossed arrowheads
Training was tough. The day began at 4:30am and
ran six days a week. Due to their tight schedule
recruits had to move at double time between training periods. 60 Mile marches were also routine. On
day two of training they began parachuting. For
most recruits their first experience flying in a plane
was also their first jump. Training included use of
American weapons, explosives and demolition,
rock climbing and skiing. The Norwegians in the
Force worked training the Americans and Canadians until they could ski well enough to meet Norwegian Army standards. Continued on Page 6 & 7.
YOUR WEEKLY HOROSCOPE
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)
Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
You feel the need for change in your life. A small
adventure can make you feel like you experienced a
refreshing change of your usual routine.
Your appreciation for life in general is heightened.
Take time in the simple things in life.
Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22)
Communication skills are very strong at this time.
You have no problem discussing your differences
with others and are able to compromise.
You feel the need to break away from your usual
routine. You could experience a refreshing change
of pace.
Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)
Your imagination is extremely active lately. Be sure
to take some time to enjoy making crafts, art or
renovate your living area.
This may be a great time to accept new and challenging adventures. You are never too late for an
adventure.
Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
If you have been working very hard and putting in
extra hours towards attaining a specific goal payoff
time is nearby.
Things get a lot easier when your workload lessens
and your income increases. Always be aware of new
opportunities.
Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)
It seems like a good time to confront any unresolved personal problems you may have. If you are
unsure how to solve the problem be sure to seek
advice from a trusted friend.
You can expect wonderful opportunities to really
capitalize on. You will also begin to see some financial returns in the near future.
Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)
Obligations may make you put your own needs on
the back burner while you deal with the needs of
others. If at all possible take some time for yourself .
It is your time to shine. Your talents are finally being
recognized. You receive appreciation and a positive
response.
Your Community Paper - The Highland Heart
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thehighlandheartweekly
Please contact us at [email protected]
or by phone at (902) 318-5752/5686
Paula Brophy
Leah Chisholm
The Highland Heart Weekly is printed each Wednesday and distributed each
Thursday & Friday. Copies are available at over 55 locations in Antigonish,
Guysborough and Sherbrooke, as well as online at www.thehighlandheart.ca
We are always interested in printing articles of interest to the community, classified ads, recipes and more. Not all submissions will be printed. Please contact
us at [email protected] or by phone at (902) 318-5752/5686. The
Highland Heart is proudly owned and published by co-owners Paula Brophy &
Leah Chisholm.
2
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Blaise Beaton Cameron
Lest We Forget
Article written by Debbie Cameron MacDonald
The story
goes that
he
was
wandering
the streets
of Halifax
when he
happened
upon his
father.
Embarrassed, he
told Allan
D. of his
rejection.
What was
his
fat h e r ' s
tongue-inc h e e k
advice?
"Try
the
n a v y .
They'll
take anyone."
B l a i s e
went to the
RCN
recruitment
office determined not to suffer
rejection for the second time. He
covered his bad eye and read the
chart perfectly. Then, instead of
covering his good eye, he
switched the paddle to his opposite hand, and once again covered his bad eye. Result? Perfect
vision. Welcome to the Royal
Canadian Navy! Blaise was posted to Victoria, B.C., where he was
given the job of stoker on a minesweeper, the HMCS Outarde.
Pictured is Blaise Beaton Cameron standing by a copy of his
service photo and also by a copy of him sitting on the deck
of the HMCS Outarde.
Blaise Beaton Cameron joined the
war effort in 1943. His father,
Allan D. Cameron, a veteran of
WW I, and two of his older brothers, Donald and Ray, had already
enlisted in the army. Another
brother, Owen, was in the RCAF.
Blaise had just turned 17, but
decided it was his patriotic duty to
join the other members of his
family in the effort to defend Canada and its Allies. Prior to leaving
home, his family and friends gifted him with a going away party
and a bit of cash. He travelled to
Halifax, but was rejected by the
army, not because of his age, but
because he was legally blind in
one eye.
This teenager from a small town
had never travelled very far from
home. He found himself on the
other side of the country feeling
extremely homesick. This was
complicated by seasickness. His
superior officer cured him of that
by having Blaise mop whatever
came up, as the seas heaved
along with him, all the while carrying out his duties as a stoker.
Blaise served in the Pacific for the
balance of WW II. He was involved
in the Aleutian Islands Campaign,
off the coast of Alaska, although
he never spoke of it until decades
after the war. He was pleased to
later find out that information
about the Aleutian Islands’ Operation Cottage was finally being
taught in Nova Scotia schools.
Blaise was a dedicated member
of the Royal Canadian Legion. He
wore his service medals with
pride. He served as president
both in Mulgrave and in Antigonish.
Remembrance Day was of prime
importance to him. Both Blaise
and his wife, Olga, instilled the
significance of the day in all their
children. They were encouraged
to attend Remembrance Day
services and to wear poppies.
Over the course of sixty-two years,
Blaise marched in the parade,
was honoured to carry the colours, and graciously lent his beautiful bass-baritone voice to the
Legion Choir. Each year saw more
of his comrades unable to be part
of the choir through illness and
death. Blaise recruited members
of his family and the Antigonish
community to supplement the
choir. Since Blaise’s death in
2008, this community has rallied
around to ensure that there will
always be a choir at the Remembrance Day Ceremony in Antigonish.
Remembrance Day Trivia
What year did WWI begin?
What year did WWI end?
What year did WWII begin?
What year did WWII end?
Who wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem?
What is worn close to your heart leading up to Remembrance Day?
2. 1918
3. 1939
4. 1945
5. John McCrae
6. Poppy
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1. 1914
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3
Across
1. Short news piece
5. Cold tomato mold
10. Storklike bird
14. R&B singer Braxton
15. Nothing-but-net sound
16. Wizard
17. Comp. key
18. Timely
20. Little Red Riding ____
21. Word with want or personal
22. Lecture hall
23. "I wanna"
25. Vietnamese minority group
26. Completely mistaken
28. Showed contempt for
33. "Fee, fi, fo ___"
34. Direct, as for information
36. Jane Eyre's pupil
37. Tea starter
39. Stop, in France
41. Garnish
42. "Peanuts" character
44. Wombs
46. Cranial concern, for short
47. Promising calculus student,
say
49. Century plants
51. "Am ___ risk?"
52. Former Mrs. Trump
53. Most slippery
57. Cecil ___ Mille
58. Southwestern Indians
61. Makes secret
63. ____-Honey (chewy candy
since 1924)
64. Cowhand's bed
65. Henpeck
66. Infinitesimal amount
67. Soldiers' meal
68. Divine
69. Ginger cookie
Down
1. Poison ivy result
2. Dorothy Gale's dog
3. College figure
4. Bathroom buildup
5. Indian beverage
6. Stieg Larsson, e.g.
7. Lindstrom and Zadora
8. NASA orbiter, for short
9. Barrio hooligans
10. Apple option
11. Ruth of the Yankees
12. Ice house: Var.
13. Appear
19. Large African lake, once
24. Fruits de ___ (seafood)
25. Firm newbie
26. "I saw ___ today, oh
boy" (Beatles lyric)
27. Saint ___, Caribbean nation
28. Enterprise rival
29. NYC time zone, in summer
30. Lineage
31. Mrs. Kramden of "The Honeymooners"
32. Short-term subs
35. Word with fly or salad
38. "You think?!"
40. Distorted imitation
43. ____ Miss (cocoa brand)
45. Big name in supermarkets
48. Loathing
50. Egyptian god with the head of a
jackal
52. Paragon
53. SDI concern
54. Board game with a lead pipe
55. Astbury and Ziering
56. Igloo dwellers (abbr.)
57. Home of the Cowboys, familiarly
59. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
James
60. Kind of opera
62. ___ Schwarz
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Sudoku
Fill in each square so the numbers one through nine appear only once in each row, column and
three by three box. Solution at bottom of this page. No cheating!
SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS DINNER
Saturday, November 21, 2015
5:00pm - 7:0pm
St. Ninian Place (121 St. Ninian Street)
Dinner Menu: Spaghetti & Meatballs,
Tossed Salad/Caesar Salad, Rolls,
Dessert and Tea/Coffee.
$15.00/plate for Adults
$7.00/plate for children 10yrs & under
Tickets must be purchased in advance
Ticket sales end Monday, November 16
Eat in only and no take-outs
Tickets may be purchased by contacting
the parish office, 902-863-2338;
Marina Anstey, 902-863-1136 or
Valerie Sullivan, 902-863-5457.
Cryptogram
All proceeds go to Saint Ninian Parish
Foundation.
A cryptogram is a phrase or quote that has been encrypted by simple letter substitution. You solve the
cryptogram with a trial and error process, guessing the letters that have been replaced. One final rule - a
letter can never be substituted with itself.
O HVOZB MR K VTNM KX XMLTMZT UVM DZITNXHKZIX HVT
ITSNTT MR NTXEMZXOJOWOHG HVKH FMLTX UOHV VOX
RNTTIML.
The solution: No cheating!
Solution to cryptogram on this page:
I think of a hero as someone who
understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.
The solution: No cheating!
— Bob Dylan
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Download complete issues on our website, read individual articles, submit FREE classifieds, recipes and letters to the editor!
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5
First Special
Lest We Forget
Article written by
The Force enlisted
the service of a
hand-to-hand instructor named Pat
O’Neill. O’Neill was
an expert in several forms of martial
arts
and
had
learned to fight as
a police officer in
the
streets
of
Shanghai.
He
taught the men
how to fight by
focusing their attacks on the eyes,
throat, groin, and
knees of their
opponent. O’Neill
was also an excellent knife fighter
and concentrated
his instruction on
how to quickly and
quietly take out
enemy
sentries.
For this task the
Force had specially
designed the V-42
Combat Knife. The
V-42 was not designed to be a
multi-purpose tool,
as the Swiss Army
Knife had been.
Recruits were told
the knife had one
purpose and one
purpose only, to
take the enemy
out.
Paratrooper Division, who in the
wake of an additional artillery bombardment
were
expecting it to be
followed by another frontal attack.
For the Force, this
artillery bombardment was a distraction meant to
hide their real
intention of climbing up the steep
side of the mountain. If the vertical
climb, the pitch
black and the exploding
artillery
were not enough,
their attack was
also met with cold
driving rain.
The Germans were
caught completely
off guard and from
the one direction
they were not expecting an attack.
The vertical slope
was not properly
defended and the
Germans were only
alerted to the
Forces’ presence
when a few members had caused a
This group picture was taken in Southern France. Malcolm
rockslide
while
‘Mallie’ MacKinnon is located on the bottom right.
moving into position. This caused
The Force received training in the members of the Force were the battle to begin prematurely,
use of German weapons. Frederick trained to be able to track and but the Force moved forward in
was given priority and plenty of scout just as well.
such an aggressive manner that it
latitude when it came to gathering
forced the Germans off La Difensa
equipment. His first orders was for The Force was deployed to Europe in only two hours. The Staff at 5th
a large supply of captured German in November of 1943. Here they Army Headquarters though the
weapons. If the Force was trapped were attached to the Fifth Army attack would take five days.
behind enemy lines they could fighting in Italy and were immedieasily pick up a German weapon ately sent forward and given the After a fierce mountain campaign,
and carry on the fight. They had to task of capturing the heavily forti- the Force had built a reputation of
be just as efficient with maintain- fied positions of Monte La Reneta- achieving the impossible. This
ing and firing their German weap- nea and Monte La Difensa. These reputation came at a high cost as
ons, as they were the American two German held positions were they suffered a 78% causality rate
ones.
strategically placed to block the after a month of hard fighting. The
route of the Western Allies and exploits of the Force and their
Nicknamed “The Braves” for their prevent them from moving through capture of La Difensa, were later
ability to fight and survive in tough the Mignano Gap and on to Cassi- dramatized in the 1968 movie
conditions behind enemy lines, the no.
“The Devil’s Brigade.”
Force adopted many symbols synonymous with Western Native To take La Difensa the Force pro- On February 1st the Force was
Americans. Their shoulder patch posed doing the impossible. On landed just south of Rome at the
was a red arrowhead and their the night of December 2nd they beachhead of Anzio. Here, Ameriservice insignia was a set of started climbing up the vertical can Forces had attempted to flank
crossed arrowheads. The crossed escarpment behind the German behind a large German force by
arrowheads had been used to position. La Difensa was held by landing behind their lines along
identify U.S. Army Indian Scouts the 104th Panzer Grenadier Divi- the Mediterranean Coast. The
during the 19th Century, and the sion and the Herman Goering landing was a success but the
6
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Service Force
Ryan MacKinnon
man in charge of the operation,
General Harold Alexander, had not
been aggressive enough moving
his army inland. The Americans
had lost the initiative and found
themselves stuck on a beachhead.
General Alexander may not have
been aggressive enough but the
Force certainly was. They held the
line along the Mussolini Canal to
the Pontine Marshes with far too
few men left to properly defend it.
To hold back the 70,000 strong
Herman Goering Division and 16th
SS Panzer Grenadiers, the Force
employed aggressive patrol tactics.
Every night members of the Force
would slip behind enemy lines.
With their hand-to-hand combat
skills and V-42 Combat Knives the
Force went about killing as many
Germans as quietly as possible.
The idea was to trick the enemy
into believing the Force was much
larger than it actually was. All of
this aggression shown by the Force
caused the Germans to move their horror he would awake to find that
front line back half a mile.
a sticker had been left on him
nonetheless.
The Force set out to strike fear into
the enemy. Frederick had made a Their aggressive tactics and use of
series of stickers with the Force boot polish to blacken their faces,
insignia of a red arrowhead and resulted in the Force earning a new
written next to it in German was nickname the “Black Devils.” A
“Das Dicke End kommt noch.” This journal confiscated from a German
translates to “The Worst is yet to Officer described the plight of his
Come.” Any area behind the lines men at Anzio and how they were
the Force moved into they left under constant attack from these
these stickers behind. They were Black Devils who seemed to be
most effective when used against always amongst them. The name
enemy sentries. After dispatching stuck. While they would officially
an enemy sentry, they would leave remain the Frist Special Service
one of these stickers on the body. Force, to the enemy they would be
When the enemy relief sentry remembered as the Black Devils.
would arrive, he would find the
body with the sticker. This would On May 10th the Black Devils and
be repeated several time over the the rest of the American 5th Army
course of the night, leaving the went on the offensive to break out
Germans to find their sentries of the Anzio Beachhead with their
piled two of three high each with ultimate objective being Rome. The
the Force sticker. In some cases Black Devils captured Monte Arwhen a German was found asleep restino on May 25th and two days
his life would be spared, but to his later Rocca Massina. They also
held several bridges, keeping them
open for the advancing American
Armor. Moving at the tip of the 5th
Armies advance the Black Devils
made history, as this joint American-Canadian Force became the
first Allied unit to enter and liberate Rome in the late hours of June
4th 1944.
Unfortunately for the Black Devils
they would not exist as a single
unit to see the end of the war. On
the morning of December 5th,
1944 in the French Mediterranean
town of Menton the Black Devils
were disbanded. With the fighting
in Europe and the Pacific the decision was taken to break the Black
Devils up and use the men as replacements for other units in the
American and Canadian Armies.
After the war other Special Forces
drew inspiration from the Black
Devils. The United States Army
Special Forces, the Green Berets,
wear a distinctive arrowhead patch
on their shoulders. Special Forces
in the U.S. also celebrate Menton
Day every year on December 5th.
Likewise the Canadian Special
Operations Regiment unit crest
includes a set of crossed arrowheads set just below a V-42 Combat Knife. Recent television interviews have also shown them wearing the red arrowhead of the First
Special Service Force.
Mallie MacKinnon in Southern France.
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7
Earl Jewers
Lest We Forget
Article written by Leah Chisholm, The Highland Heart
test and came upon the question
‘what education do you have’. Earl
thought he was done for at this
time. He knew he couldn’t lie but
then it dawned on him. He travelled through College Grant Road,
which many people call College,
numerous times. So in the space
asking for education he wrote
down ‘through College’ as he literally travelled through College. Earl
may have had a grade five education but he was wise beyond his
years. He said if they would have
questioned him on it he would
have told them what he meant.
They didn’t question him, he
passed the test and began his
training session.
Earl enlisted in September 1940.
He said he did so because all the
other young men were joining and
it was his duty to serve the country.
At the age of eighteen he travelled
to New Glasgow to join. From there
he was sent to Depot #6 in Halifax.
SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS DINNER
Saturday, November 21, 2015
5:00pm - 7:0pm
St. Ninian Place (121 St. Ninian Street)
Dinner Menu: Spaghetti & Meatballs,
Tossed Salad/Caesar Salad, Rolls,
Dessert and Tea/Coffee.
$15.00/plate for Adults
$7.00/plate for children 10yrs & under
Tickets must be purchased in advance
Ticket sales end Monday, November 16
Eat in only and no take-outs
Tickets may be purchased by contacting
the parish office, 902-863-2338;
Marina Anstey, 902-863-1136 or
Valerie Sullivan, 902-863-5457.
All proceeds go to Saint Ninian Parish
Foundation.
He trained with others for six
months outside of Halifax. He said
they all were extremely well
trained. There were riffle ranges
where some of the newly enlisted
learned how to use a gun. Earl,
with a smile on his face, said he
had no issue with that training as
he was a country boy. Next he was
sent to Quebec City to do more
foot training. During his time in
Quebec there was a call to send
troops overseas to Scotland for a
year in the Forestry Core where
one worked in the mills and woods.
Knowing his age was keeping him
back from being deployed into the
action he jumped at the opportunity to join the Forestry Core. While
there a call came and this is when
Earl became a member of the
North Nova Scotia Highlanders
(NNSHs).
He was sent to England to the
North Nova Scotia Highlanders
(NNSHs) holding unit. There they
did more foot drills which were not
Earl’s favourite thing to do. There
was a chance to be a Signalman
with the NNSHs as a wireless operator. You needed to be well educated for this position as members
that went for it needed to take a
test and if successful would have
three month training period to
follow. Earl had his grade five education but that didn’t stop him
from taking the test. He started the
8
When I asked Earl if he could recall
the day his service ended he said
yes in a very calm demeanor. In my
mind I was thinking people would
be yelling and cheering but this
wasn’t the case. Earl told me how
they landed on Juno Beach in
France eleven months prior. As
time went on they knew that the
opposition was getting weaker and
weaker. When his service ended
he was in Germany at the time and
he was told by his Major it was
over. He said they were pleased
and happy about it being over but
the feeling of excitement was not
felt that day.
Earl said that the NNSHs would get
together in Amherst almost yearly
up until a few years back. He said
it was nice to see his fellow friends
and enjoyed catching up with
them.
In the training session as a NNSHs
Signalman Earl was trained to
send and read Morse code at
twelve words a minute. Once on
the field he said you had to be able
to read and send at least eighteen Earl Jewers was born in Liscombe
words a minute.
Mills, Nova Scotia. He and his wife
Marion had one daughter Joan.
Earl opened up about a few stories Earl is a proud grandfather to Sufrom his war time. Surprisingly the san Mahar, David and Sandy Archistories all seemed to have a bit of bald and proud great grandfather
humour attached to them. It was to Carter and Katelyn. Earl currentamazing to hear how even in the ly resides in Lochaber.
darkest of times Earl could still
find moments of light and laughter. Two years ago Earl made the trip
to France with his daughter and
One story Earl mentioned was grandson to take part in the sevenwhile in Germany him and his ty year anniversary to D-Day. Earl
friend, Corporal Ed Carroll were in said it was a long time since he
a trench. At the time Germans was there and that things were a
were shelling them heavily from a lot different. He mentioned the
mile away. There was a post that Juno beach was not like it was
stood outside the ground of their when they landed so many years
trench which it seemed as though before. Earl and his family visited
the Germans were using it as a grave sites of fallen soldiers and
target. During this shelling Ed be- memorials around the area. It was
gan making a pot of tea. After truly an amazing experience for
some shots one of the Germans them all.
was successful and hit the post
which caused earth to fill the This past February Earl was made
trench in to about their waists. a Knight of the National Order of
After they dug themselves out Ed the Legion of Honour by the Govtold Earl that he didn’t mind them ernment of France. The Order is
target practicing but they ruined a the highest decoration in France.
whole cup of tea.
When I mentioned this huge accolade Earl was very modest saying it
One thing that Earl said stuck out was a nice medal and nice of
clear in my mind ‘If they didn’t hit France to do this for him.
you, they wouldn’t hurt you’. Hearing those words just reminded me Remembrance Day is not an easy
about how extremely brave every time of year for Earl as he dislikes
male and female, past and present thinking back to the difficult times.
had to be to fight for our freedom The thing he wanted people to do
and ensure our safety. I am truly on Remembrance Day was to
indebted for all the sacrifices ‘Remember the ones that didn’t
made to protect our wonderful get back from war’.
country! Earl Jewers, along with all
other individuals who have kept We Will Remember Them!
our country safe, are all truly heroes!
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Merle Taylor
Article written by John David, johndavidphotography.ca
talking, I instantly
felt as though all
societies socially
imposed
boxes
had
been
removed. Age, gender, income, occupation.. all gone.
All that’s left is
honesty, integrity,
heart, focus…
For 92 years old,
Merle is intimidatingly focused. She
just rattled off
dates of events
that
happened
decades ago like
she was reading
them. As disappointing as it was
Photograph by johndavidphotography.ca [email protected]
obvious, Merle was
certainly the more
Merle Taylor is my new friend. tion. Photographing Merle with her sober-minded of the two of us.
She’s also a lot of other things: a Ham Radio seemed like an obvimother to five boys, Air Force Vet- ous choice, and that’s where we The other thing that Merle had me
eran, recipient of the Governor started. She taught me how to beat at was gardening. I have
General’s Award for 70 years of send Morse Code, and had me tap more garden space, but Merle’s
outstanding community service my name out in dots and dashes. was thriving and already producing
and a Morse code expert.
It was a whole lot of fun. She food. She’s really proud of her
showed me her calling card for the garden, and was keen for that to
When people learned that I wanted radio, as well as the award she’d be another setting for a portrait,
to do more character studies on won (five times in a row against just as she was proud of the Blue
my journey in environmental por- 100 men.. a contest that likely Spruce that provided the backtraiture, it was suggested a few ended because it wasn’t much fun ground for the other colour portimes that I look up Merle Taylor. for all these men to know Merle trait.
The first time I saw Merle she was was just going to beat them again
riding an all terrain vehicle near anyways).
I look forward to seeing Merle
the farm where we were picking
again soon. We already have a
berries. I was surprised to see her Spending time with Merle, you get plan to swap photo albums and
so active, as I knew that Merle was the clear sense that she isn’t going probably a few more stories. I
in her 90s. As it turns out, Merle to be swayed whether you’re a have a lot more character studies
Taylor turns 92 years young this millionaire or a pauper, a farmer or in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and
very weekend. When we were a politician. She’s clearly able to beyond, but I can tell right now that
walking around her property, she take a person’s character on Merle Taylor will always be among
pointed to the two cord of wood something else that she considers the most engaging and proshe had stacked…herself…using more important. When we were nounced.
her walker to pile 12
pieces of wood at a time!
When we first sat down,
Merle talked about her
service in the Air Force.
She told me when she
first enlisted, she didn’t
see herself in any of the
prescribed roles that
were dolled out to young
women at the time. In
short order, Merle found
herself in a few different
positions that were oriented around communication with combat aircraft. She taught code to
Airmen from Europe, and
then became familiar
with more modern methods of radio communica-
Photograph by johndavidphotography.ca [email protected]
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9
What Does Remembrance
Annette Duggan
Ashley LeDrew
Amy Juurlink
For as long as I can remember my
Dad (jimmy Duggan) was an active
member with the Legion here in
Antigonish. He was so proud of the
veterans of Arras Branch 59 and
was Sargent at Arms for many
years, so I saw him lead the legion
in many parades over the years. It
was such an important day in our
home as we grew up.
To me, Remembrance Day is very
significant, it means family, honour,
courage and it holds high importance in our lives. The soldiers,
my grandfather being one, are honoured on this day for standing up
for something they believed in. They
fought in the war losing many of
their close friends and family members. We remember not only those
who fought and are still with us
today but those who passed serving
our country so we can live in peace.
I hold great honour being able to
sleep in my own bed at night knowing there are soldiers serving our
country for our freedom and safety.
It’s also important to show our respect by remembering the sacrifices our friends and families have
made to keep our country free.
Remembrance Day to me is a great
reminder of the many Canadians
who lost their lives protecting us
from what could have been and a
time to remember those who are
serving today. Thank you Veterans
for your bravery, hard work, and
dedication to our country!
November 11th has always been a
very meaningful day to my family
and I. It holds a special place in my
heart for many reasons. For as
long as I can remember on November 11th we went to the Antigonish
parade and then down to the cenotaph. I was always so proud standing on the side of the street watching my Grandpa walking with the
other war vets. To some people it
is a "day off" or "holiday" but to my
MacKinnon family and myself it
means so much more than that.
On November 11th it is all about
our hero, Gramps and to all of the
other men and women who gave
their lives for us.
At this time of the year he would
speak of those that didn’t come
home with a sadness in his voice
and eyes. Sadness for the families
and sadness for what those men
and women went through.
Each year I would stand and watch
these heroes, and think of those
who gave so much, something I
can only imagine.
On Remembrance Day I was always so proud of him and his comrades, not only for that day alone
but the weeks leading up to it.
They would go out to the surrounding schools to speak with the students so each generation would
not forget the sacrifice made for
them. They all looked forward to
it. They are proud to go!
To see the pride in Dad’s eyes as
he and his comrades marched
down Main Street so straight and
strong, and stand in what seemed
to be more times than not, cold
rainy weather would always touch
my heart. He was proud to march!
Ray Bates
So I guess I would have to say
sadness but mostly pride is what
Brooklyn Ehler, Age 10
Remembrance Day means to me.
Pride for these Veterans, these I may not know how many people
heroes.
were in the war and who they are,
but I will always remember what
they did for our country, and how
brave they were to sacrifice themselves for us. Remembrance Day is
such, well...a very sad day.
I love Canada!
10
Remembrance Day is a time that I
think about my Grandpa and how
much he gave for us. Throughout
November I wear my poppy and
think about Grandpa and how
amazing he was. My memories of
him, especially on Remembrance
Day are ones that I will always
cherish.
Remembrance Day is a special day
within my household. As a child I
vividly remember attending the
November 11 services at the war
memorial with my parents and
other family members. My mother
lost a brother, Uncle Jack MacDonald, who was killed in action on
February 22, 1945. My dad and
three of his brothers all served
overseas and thankfully all came
home. I still think of those days
and am grateful for the services
and sacrifices of Canadians during
those horrible war years.
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Day Mean to You?
Irene Chisholm
Matthew McKenna
Alisa Briand Kelly
Remembrance Day is filled with
lots of mixed emotions for me. I
am very grateful to the men and
woman who have fought to protect
our freedom. I am both extremely
proud and sad remembering my
Dad, Mallie MacKinnon, a veteran
of WWII. I can see him dressed in
his Legion suit, with his shined up
medals on his chest. Dad was
proud to march in the parades and
he was overjoyed to see his grandchildren watch him march by with
"his brothers". We place a wreath
on Dad's grave after the Veteran's
Day service to honor him. "We will
remember them."
Honestly, when I was younger, it
meant a day off from school and an
extra day I could go hunting with
Dad. But, as I got older (and wiser)
I realized it was much more than
that. Today, it means freedom!
When I see on the news what is
happening in other countries, particularly the refugee’s trying to escape from their home countries to
find a better way of life in other
countries, it quickly humbles me
and makes me realize how lucky we
are to live in Canada. I cannot imagine what those people, particularly the children, are going through.
Making the decision to leave everything behind in hopes of starting a
new life in a new country with no
idea of what tomorrow will bring is a
decision I know I will never have to
make. I am fortunate for that, we
are fortunate for that! I am forever
in debt to every Canadian Armed
Forces Member, past and present,
who have served this great country.
A debt I will gladly carry as long as I
am on this earth. My wife Sarah
and I take great pride in being Canadian and are grateful that our
girls will get to grow up in the greatest country in the world.
I would like to start by stating what
Remembrance Day has NEVER
meant to me. It has never meant a
day off from school or work. It has
never been a day to go gallivanting
around with my friends. It has
never meant a day to sleep in,
carefree and clueless. It has never
meant a day of dwelling on my
own trivial issues, thinking of whatever problems that are currently
plaguing me.
Jonathan Pettipas
I remember one November, it was
cold and there was snow on the
ground and I was standing at the
cenotaph with my cadet uniform
on holding the flag. Then when I
knew it, it was 11 o'clock and we
had a moment of silence. When I
was standing there with my fellow
cadets and legion members, all I
thought about was the men and
women who fought for us to keep
the country safe.
So Lest We Forget and pray for all
those women and men past and
present who died and are still with
us and give thanks to them for
keeping us safe. We will never
forget.
It DOES mean taking the time to
bow my head in humility. It does
mean knowing that there is so
much more to the world. It does
mean counting my blessings. It
does mean deep, heartfelt gratitude for the unimaginably courageous people who have fought for
the freedoms and blessings I enjoy. It does mean understanding
the immense sacrifices others and
their families have made and still
make so the rest of us don't have
to. It does mean an unstoppable
hope for better, for understanding,
for tolerance, for freedom, for life.
Remembrance Day, simply put,
means love...whole, unconditional,
selfless love.
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
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11
We Will Remember Them!
Francis Briand
James ‘Jimmy’ Duggan
Blaise B. Cameron, Stoker, RCN, WW II
William ‘Billy’ MacDonald
George Arthur (Big Arthur) DeYoung
Truman Smith
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”
Malcolm ‘Mallie’ MacKinnon
12
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