Emokhare Paul Anthony
Daily Herald
The Prince Albert Legion and ANAVETS had their annual Decoration Day ceremony on Sunday.
Legion and ANAVETS members were joined by representatives from the local cadet corps at South Hill Cemetery, where they placed Canadian flags on markers next to the graves of local veterans.
“We are honouring the veterans who lost their lives in the wars,” ANAVETS 222 President Floyd LaVallee said. “This is for the invasion of France by the Allies.”
LaVallee said Allied troops landed on five beaches in Normandy to begin the liberation of France on June 6, 1944. LaVallee said the soldiers who died helped push the Nazis back, and the ANAVETS and Legion want to honour those soldiers as best they can.
“I remember when I first joined the ANAVETS, all the people who went to war, you’d ask them questions, and some of them couldn’t talk,” LaVallee remembered. “They’d be crying because they lost some of their friends and that. It (Decoration Day) is just something that means so much.”
This year’s ceremony was held two days after the D-Day anniversary. LaVallee said they always try to hold the ceremony the Sunday after June 6. He added that they are always happy to see people come out and pay their respects.
“There was quite a few more people,” he said. “The weather was terrible at first. We were just about going to hold at the ANAVETS, but the sun came out and it worked out.”
The colour parties from both the Legion and ANAVETs were marched on and off to begin and conclude the service by the Prince Albert Pipes and Drums led by Piper Dave Monette.
Father Jim Kaptein led the service and gave the address, the invocation, scattered the ashes and gave the benediction.
While LaVallee appreciated the turnout, he worried the numbers could soon drop.
“I’m glad to see that many people here,” he said. “I was amazed at the amount of people but … we’re losing veterans and there’s not as many members of the ANAVETS and the Legion coming anymore. There’s not too many veterans and there’s not too many young people involved in both of those organizations, but now it’s coming around.”
After the service everyone was invited to the ANAVETs for a lunch.
–with files from Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald
