The untold stories of 26 soldiers with ties to Sarnia-Lambton are on display at the Sarnia Legion this Remembrance Day.
The public is encouraged to attend the annual service at the 11th hour Monday, November 11 at Veterans Park where the names of the forgotten have been added to the Cenotaph.
Posters at Sarnia Legion telling the untold stories of 26 soldiers added to the Cenotaph this year (Photo courtesy of Sarnia Historical Society Nov. 10, 2019)
Posters of the 26 individuals previously missed can be viewed by the public upstairs at the Legion at 286 Front St. N.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 62 spokesman Les Jones said it's important to remember all of those who have fought for our freedom, and have made sacrifices, for many the ultimate sacrifice, in service to their country.
"Obviously as a Legion, we feel that's very important, that we continue to remember, not just the veterans from World War I, World War II, there's Korea, there's peacekeeping in Bosnia, Cyprus, Egypt and then our Afghan veterans," said Jones. "So it's important that we keep the ball rolling so that people don't forget those veterans as well."
Jones said they're expecting another big turnout at Monday's service, so he suggests residents show up early.
"We form up at about 10:20 a.m. in front of the Legion on Front Street, the Hussars have a little ceremony, and our step-off time or the beginning of the march is at 10:35 a.m. We march down Front Street to George Street, then up George Street and then to Christina Street, and we like to arrive just shortly before 11 a.m."
Jones said this year's ceremony will unveil the names of the 26 soldiers recently added to the memorial at Veterans Park.
"So in some cases, it could've been somebody that moved here by themselves, lived and worked here for a number of years, signed up here in Sarnia to go to war and then died, so there was no one in Sarnia left to put their names [on the cenotaph]. So that's just one example of how some of the names were forgotten," said Jones.
Sarnia Historical Society President Ron RealeSmith said several family members of one of the soldiers, Captain David Salmons, are flying in from Vancouver and Edmonton to take part in the ceremony.
"David Salmons was born and raised here and a lot of his family still lives here today, he married his wife here in Sarnia and then passed away in service to country in 1980, and his daughter, who will be here, he had just found out that he and his wife were pregnant, and then a week later he passed away. So the funeral was performed here in Sarnia, but nothing ever of a public recognition or anything of that sort exists in town today," said RealeSmith.
RealeSmith said the Cenotaph upgrade project and restoration, spearheaded by local author Tom Slater, is now complete, and the posters at the Legion tell the story of the missing soldiers' names, their connection to the community, where they died, and other details about them.
For those unable to attend Monday's service, CHOK Radio will continue the tradition of broadcasting the service live from Veterans Park beginning at 10:30 a.m.
-With files from Dave Dentinger