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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1988-11-09, Page 101QIA — THE HURON EXPOSITOR. NOVEMBER 9. 1988 Remembrance Day FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Main St., Seaforth 527-1680 Today's youth still remembers BY TRACY BOSMAN We must not forget the hero And his spirit which never fades, For we must keep the fire bright When it's our turn to be "The Brave." -Carla Pittman On every November 11, we pay tribute to the people who fought and died during the first and second world wars. Many people have never been at war and find it difficult to remember it as such. However, we can imagine what it was like. "It would he an experience unlike any other,"said one Grade 12 student at Seaforth District High School. "It would be scary to go out every day and not know whether or not you will ever see your family and friends again. It would be terrible to be so unsure of your future." Youth, who have only experienced war on the television screen, do realize the huge sacrifices war demands. They can see the way that men and women suffered, and they can almost feel the pain. Remembrance Day observances cause people to think and war becomes more than artificial scenes on a television screen. "People will forget the wars if Remem- brance Day is not observed,"said Anne Robinson, a Grade 13 student at S.D.H.S. "We always have to be reminded of the atrocities of war, so it can never happen again." The second world war may have ended 40 years ago, but the people of Canada have not forgotten it, or the men who fought to ensure Canada's freedom. To each individual, the idea of a Canada without the freedoms we know now, would be unacceptable. It was these individuals who went to war to ensure Veteran's banquet well attended REMEMBERING 11 Home wa SILLS Home Hardware Seaforth 527-1620 NOVEMBER 11 Take time to pause and remember The Veterans Banquet held last Saturday evening, was well attended by some 160 members and wives in attendance. The guest speaker "Ham" Summers, Provincial Sports Officer, spoke very well on "Remem- brance" Remembrance" and Legion. He was introduced by Al Nicholson and thanked by Bruce Wilbee. One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of a cheque for $5,000 by the President of the Ladies Auxiliary Eva Brown to President Mel Melanson. After a meal served by the Ladies Auxiliary, the rest of the evening was spent dancing to the music of Ian Wilbee and his Orchestra. On Sunday the annual Church parade was held at St. Thomas Anglican Church. Unfor- tunately the High School Girls Band was not able to be in attendance, owing to a prior commitment to attend the annual Santa Claus parade in Toronto. After the Church parade the Legion held its annual Poppy Drive with Seaforth, Egmondville and Har- purhey being canvassed in a couple of hours. On behalf of the President and Poppy Chairman Bill Wilbee the Branch would like to thank all the people who so generously contributed to the Poppy campaign in any way. Service Officer Cleave Coombs reports the Provincial Service Officer will be at the that such a Canada would never be. It is therefore up to us to remember these people who died for our country. One way we can help to show our remem- brane is by wearing a poppy. It is these tiny flowers which show the symbol of peace. "You wear a poppy to show that you remember those who fought in the wars,"said Lisa Strong, another Grade 13 student at S.D.H.S. It is believed that a person never dies at as long as his or her memory is kept alive, and in a sense, the death of the soldiers in any war will never be final as long as there is a Remebrance Day. It is the youth of today who owe the remembrance to the youth of yesterday. So, on November 11- take the moment to pause and reflect upon those soldiers who fought for Canada. Branch on November 22 at noon. Any Ser'- vice men or widows wishing an intervier. please contact Cleave for an appointment. On the sports scene Linda reports the Zone Darts and Euchre are on the bulletin board. If anyone is interested please sign their names on the lists provided. Branch Cribbage starts November 14 and Euchre on November 16. Both are at 8 p.m. There will be darts on Saturday, November 12 at 8 p.m. The Early -Bird campaign has now com- pleted two months with nearly 50 per cent of the members paid up. The winners for the October draw are as follows: Ron Lannon, Don Pletch, Jim Burge and Ed Burt. Con- gratulations to both September and October winners. Maybe the other 50 per cent will be in' for the November draw. The schedule for November 11 will be the same as other years weather permitting. Parade will fall in at 10:30 a.m. prior to parading to the Cenotaph. Anyone carrying wreaths please be at the hall no later than 10:15 a.m. In the evening there will be a potluck supper at 6 p.m. In the morning prior to the parade the high school has asked that we have a representation of members in attendance for their annual Remembrance Day service at 9 a.m. They 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. Bar roster: November 9, G. Cooper; November 10, G. Osborn; November 14, H. Mero; November 15, D. Medd; November 16, B. Finlayson. Take time to remember Every November 11, Canadians across the country pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who served our country during wartime. We honor those who fought for Canada - in the First World War (1914-1918), the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). More than 1,500,000 Canadians served overseas - more than 100,000 died. They gave their lives and their future so that we may live in peace. SEAFORTH VETERINARY CLINIC Main Street North 527-1760 WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE BECAUSE OF THEM WORLD WAR I VETERAN, Fred Thuell i - from page 1 stretcher bearers came for him in the morn- ing. The spine injury left him a paraplegic. Joe was hit at Arras. He was the lookout at the back of the trench when he was the victim of a wbizbang. A whiabang was a short range artillery shell, and it crippled Joe's right arm and took off half of his nose. On his second trip to the front Mr. Thuell caught a throat infection, and ended up in quarantine for about six or eight weeks. He can only guess at what caused it (the army eithemiidn't know or thought it was none of his business), but he thinks it may have been diptheria. His next active service came after being transferred to the 13th Canadian Railway Troops. This was a new battalion whose main objective was to lay light rails to move supplies. His rank was changed from private to sapper. The railway troops were constantly being shelled. German observation balloons would spot their rails and the heavy ar- tillery would pound at the rails and at the men building them. The railway troops worked out in the open, and when they would hear the shells coming they'd look for cover in old shell holes to avoid shrapnel. "Sometimes the holes would be half full of water, but you'd do anything to get out of shelling." The Germans would also send over gas shells, and when the men heard them com- ing (from their distinctive sounds) they would put on their gas rnagks to avoid dead- ly chlorine gases. Mr. Thuell says casualties were a fact of life for the railway tro "We got the hell shelled out of us." Mr. Thuell was with the railway troops until the armistice was signed. The veteran says he really believed it when they said the first world war was the war to end all wars. "I thought that at the time, but after the 1940s and Hitler I realized wars will never settle." Mr. Thuell was born May 29, 1899, and will soon be turning 90. He is one of the few WW I veterans left today. He has gone to schools and talked to children about his experiences in the war. He says "it's pretty hard to visnaliae war unless you've been on actual combat service. But I tell them that wars never settle anything and that the guy who coined the phrase 'War is Hell' has got it pretty close." "Wars are just a waste of humans and material resources. If all those resources could be applied to benefit the needy..." On Remembrance Day Mr. Thuell will be laying a wreath in Brussels where he lives, but the day means more to him than just a time for ceremonies. "On November the eleventh I think back on my days in France, and reflect on some of my best buddies who are still pushing up daisies over there." A Moment's Silence For A Lifetime Of Freedom Speak not of battles won or lost But remember those who fought for you! In Flander's Field. The Poppies Blow ... Town of Seaforth T.J. DEVEREAUX Chiropractor MAYOR — Alfred Ross 77 Main c;t ' b iforth 527-1242 TREMEER COMMERCIAL PRINTERS AND OFFICE SUPPLY Seaforth 527-1640 REMEMBERING THE VETERAN .. ' ROSS RIBEY, DIRECTOR TOGETHER WE REMEMBER THEY WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN! WHITNEY-RIBEY FUNERAL HOME Goderich St. W., Seaforth 527-1390 THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION Branch 156 Seaforth PRESIDENT — MEL MELANSON SEAFORTH FINANCIAL SERVICES Doug Elliott SEAFORTH Harry Den Haan 527-0426 a