They may be gone, but they will not be forgot.
More than 100 people of all ages came out to honour current and past veterans during the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Royal Canadian Legion branch 521 in Bradford Monday morning.
Legion member and MC, Anne Silvey, directed the ceremony, which began with a ceremonial lowering and raising of the Canadian flag followed by the laying of 16 wreaths in recognition of various different soldiers, conflicts and organizations, and concluded with a prayer from Rev. Dana Dickson.
Having been born in England during the Second World War, Silvey said she’s especially grateful to enjoy the freedom that allows so many to gather on Remembrance Day.
“For me, it’s a huge honour to be able to do this,” she said of leading the ceremony.
Particularly striking was the large yellow wreath carried and laid by legion member Jody Mott in recognition of Sapp. Brian Collier, who was killed at age 24 by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on foot patrol in Panjwa’i District close to Kandahar City in Afghanistan on July 20, 2010.
The event was especially meaningful for veteran and Ward 6 Coun. Nickolas Harper, who explained that while the event gets “harder and harder” every year, it also means “so much more,” as it ties modern veterans to the sacrifices of those who came before and served in the First and Second World Wars, Korea, United Nations peacekeeping missions and the more recent conflict in Afghanistan.
“Our resilience as Canadians will always be that we stand up and fight for peace and we will continue to support and remember our fallen comrades forever,” he said. “To do that today and be a part of this holds a special place in my heart.”
Harper emphasized that even after retiring, soldiers remain soldiers forever.
“We can’t not stand on guard for thee,” he said.
That rings true for one of the legion’s oldest veterans, Brian Mallett, who said he’s currently 91 and served in the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force from 1950 to 1963.
As a technician for transport command, Mallett said most of his work was behind the scenes and he described the annual event as a chance to “meet old friends.”
When it comes to his advice for those currently enjoying the freedoms for which veterans fought, Mallett kept it simple.
“Love thy brother,” he said.
This marked the first ceremony on Remembrance Day at the legion cenotaph since the completion of the two-wall mural installed earlier this year, and also the first following recent improvements to the cenotaph itself.
Silvey explained that last week, Sarjeant Co. poured fresh concrete sections and Geranium Homes removed two trees from in front of the legion which could no longer be kept, and will be planting new bushes in their place come spring.
