HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2011-07-13, Page 10Author seeks families of First World War vets
Cheryl Heath
OMI A lenxy
As a child, Nn Rutledge wanted to know
why.
That boyhood curiosity would lead him,
many years later, to begin researching
what would turn out to be a very well
received nonfiction book, The Men of
Huron 1939-1946, which recounts the
anecdotes, history and family trees of the
county's men and women who were killed
in action during the Second World War.
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Rutledge says the stage for
his Journey into the topic was
set when as a child his mother
told him that his father served
in the Second World War. His
mother recounted, "the man I
loved looked the same but
what was inside was totally
different."
"I remember him as being
quiet and never talking about
the war," says Rutledge of his
father, Lorne, who died at 48
in the family's hometown of
Kitchener.
The way Rutledge found out
was to delve into the stories of
the veterans of I luron County
by accessing their military
records stored at the National
Archives in Ottawa, and
through the details and memo-
rabilia shared by their descend-
ants and friends after he placed
illi advertisement seeking
information in this region's
locus magazine.
"1 got a tremendous
response'," 111' Says, noting ll('
received letters, photos and
information with the result
being, "I was able to do a story
on each gran"
Nov,tRutledge is taking on a
bigger and more daunting
project. Ile is setting sites on
writing a detailed account of
Huron County's men and
WOlrl(i1 who served in the First
World War. It is to be called,
The 1 Zeroes of !Iwo!) County
- A Directory of Honour and
Remembrance - 1914-1921.
This task will be a notably
tougher one, he admits, given
the Great War ended in 1918,
meaning all of those with
first-hand knowledge of it
have passed on.
Nonetheless, Rutledge
remains hopeful that descend-
ants of these veterans will step
forward to share their pictures,
documents and the stories they
have heard passed on through
generations.
Rutledge, who is one year
into the research process, has
so far collected the names of
more than 500 sten and
women who served from
Huron County. Many of the
names on that list --- Adams,
Aitchison, Cantelon, Cook,
Fisher, Groves, Lavis, Lawson,
Maclaren, i\1cClinchey,
McKay, McNaughton, Mitch-
ell, Moore, Morgan, Parker, and
Younghlut are familiar ones
in the area evt'n today.
"1 knew there would be a
lot of guys," says Rutledge.
"The challenge is to have
people come forward with
information that is almost
100 years' old„
As was the case with Men of
lluron, Rutledge is hoping to
be able to find the hacking of u
non-profit community-based
group so that he may apply for
Ontario Trillium foundation
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grant funding, which in the
last case assisted with
$15,000 of the publication
cost thanks to the Bayfield
Historical Society's sup-
port. Rutledge says there
are also provindal and fed-
eral grants available for his-
torical projects.
Another integral part of
the project for Rutledge
involves a plan to travel
overseas to photograph
each of the gravesites of
Canada's veterans of the
First World War. Rutledge
plans to place Canadian
cull Ontario flags, long with
the Canadian t'nsign, at
each site with those sym-
bols all corning care of a
donation through Huron -
Bruce MPJ' Carol Mitchell.
"'Phis is our way of hon-
ouring and renumbering
the then and women of
1 luron," he says.
Also on the jot) this time
around is a volunteer
assistant, notes Rutledge.
That researcher, Jeanette
Elliott of 'mean, already
photographed about 200
headstones and memori-
als of the men and women
Of Htlron when she and
her husband were visiting
Belgium.
Overall, says Rutledge,
writing these books has
indeed proven to be a
labour of love. His first
effort was widely acclaimed
and received the commen-
dation of Veterans Affairs
Canada, which called it the
tx'st of its kind.
On a personal level,
Cheryl Heath
Goderich-based author Jim Rutledge is now embarking
on a tribute to veterans of the First World War who
hailed from Huron County.
Rutledge says learning
about the details of the war
and some of the experi-
ences his own father had,
has been an eve -opening
experience. In fact, part of
his research led hint to
track down his dad's best
friend in the war who was
by then living in Texas.
"1 wanted to know why
my dad changed because
he never talked about the
Wier,' says Rutledge. "Now
1 know"
1 le adds that as a mem-
ber of the Baby Boomer
generation, he appreciates
that he enjoys a good life
thanks to the sacrifices of
his father and others like
hila.
"I feel it's my obligation
to honour thele so that they
are not forgotten," says
Rutledge.
Those with information
pertaining to the turn and
tvonlen of I luron County
who served itt the First
World War are encouraged
to contact Rutledge at (519)
524-180B or via e-mail at
bookothonour394h(0i
gmail.cont
I lis first hook is availa-
ble at pincher's Books in
Goderich, Signature Books
in God erich, the Iluron
county Museum in
Goderich, The Bookshelf
in Rayfield and at the
North Huron Museum in
Winghain.
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Thanks
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