The week leading up to Remembrance Day 2023 has been emotional for many. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Canada’s peacekeeping participation around the world, the 80th anniversary of the Italian campaign and the 70th anniversary of signing the armistice of the Korean War – known as ‘the Forgotten War.
Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. Originally called Armistice Day, it commemorates the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month [November 11, 1918].
In Saugeen Shores (Southampton and Port Elgin), memories are being passed down to the youth as local schools hold their own Remembrance Day ceremonies.
On Thursday, November 9th, Saugeen District Senior School (SDSS) history class with teacher Dan Wiegand, listened to guest speaker, local historian Bill Streeter, as he told the story of two young men ‘Joined at the Hip’ from Southampton who enlisted in World War I. ‘Joined at the Hip’ is an old saying that refers to those who are ‘best friends’ and do everything together. ‘Joined at the Hip’ is a story of a life-long friendship between Francis Tuckfield and Oscar Vernon (believed to be cousins), who despite their deaths, continues today as they lay buried side-by-side in France.
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Streeter also explained one of the least known units of the war, the WWI Canadian Forestry Corps, that included four local men from Chippewa Hill (Saugeen First Nation). They were the men who, with logging experience, were sent to Europe to log the trees for lumber needed at the Front.
Then, in Southampton on Friday morning November 10th, G.C. Huston hosted its Remembrance ceremony with several members of the Southampton Legion Branch 155 in attendance and an honour song performed by Saugeen First Nation drumming group.
Classes also created wreaths that were laid at a replica Cenotaph. From Jr. Kindergarten through to Grade 8, the students were remarkably quiet realizing the solemness of the assembly.
Also on Friday, SDSS held a general assembly that featured a moving documentary featuring World War II veterans and an in-person presentation by Afghan veteran (ret’d), Mike Hobson.
Hobson, with a slide presentation that included live scenes of combat, described his tour and the loss of his fellow Canadians as the students and teachers watched and listened in silence.
“We fought for our country’s freedom, we fought for our home and family … we fought for you. Live for your passion and make it mean something. Why we remember is a little different for everyone. Afghanistan is about 10,000 km away and is a dusty desert place. The combat mission was the longest for the Canadian forces and the largest deployment of Canadian soldiers since World War II. Canadians have served around the world for a long time but this was different. This was not a peacekeeping mission. This was a combat mission and 158 Canadian soldiers died. I had many friends who did not come home and I carried more caskets than I care to remember. Afghanistan is a hostile place. It was filled with people who wanted to kill you. It’s not like a video game and it’s not glamorous. I was very lucky to come home.”