Comments:
Remembrance Day for me is a double whammy. As with all the previous posts about their fathers, mothers, and relatives veteran service, I too think of my Dad,Uncles,Aunts and grandparents all of whom I have seen and have pictures proudly wearing their uniforms. I think of my Dad a WW2 veteran and UN peacekeeper many times over. His name was Bill like mine, and my son and my grandson in his honour. You or your parents may have known him as Wo2 William F Blake in Shilo. He was a proud member of the RCE and before he died in 1996 he dutifully taught all his grand Children ''The Engineers Song"" which they all still laugh about from time to time.
But it is a double Whammy because of how he died. You see He died celebrating Remembrance Day in 1996. In the small town in Ontario where they retired, his last words to my Mother were ""are my medals on straight"". With her commenting that he should quit being a fuss budget he left to march with his legion buddies in the remembrance parade to the Church. He probably should not have been marching as he had some trouble walking and keeping up, but I cannot think of anybody who would have been able to stop him if they tried. He made it to the church ok, but as soon as they marched into the church and he sat down in the front pue, he had a heart attack and died right in the Church. No goodbyes, no notice, but probably just the way he wanted to go. He was with his buddies, his God, and some of his family and was remembering and honouring all those who sacrificed so much so his kids and grand kids could have such a free and peaceful life. What a way for him to go.
PS You Engineer brats can probably remember how ""organized"" our RCE fathers used to like to tell us they were. Dad had always said he wanted to be buried in his Legion Uniform. Our Family likes to joke about the fact that he already had it on when he died and the church he died in was right next door to the funeral home in this litle town. Must have been all that RCE training, eh??
Can't help thinking about Mom right now too and all those times Dad was away for a year or months at a time and how she kept the family together. When she passed two years ago we found a Letter my Dad had written to me from Egypt in 1957 when I was 9 years old and he was over there for a year. He asked me to look after my Mom and my younger brothers and sisters. The tears are flowing as I write this and think of how well all our parents looked after all of us and how much they were prepared to sacrifice to give us what we have today
We all have a right to be Proud of our parents and I thank you or letting me share this with you and for your guest book entries that let me share your Pride in your relatives.
Remembrance Day for me is a double whammy. As with all the previous posts about their fathers, mothers, and relatives veteran service, I too think of my Dad,Uncles,Aunts and grandparents all of whom I have seen and have pictures proudly wearing their uniforms. I think of my Dad a WW2 veteran and UN peacekeeper many times over. His name was Bill like mine, and my son and my grandson in his honour. You or your parents may have known him as Wo2 William F Blake in Shilo. He was a proud member of the RCE and before he died in 1996 he dutifully taught all his grand Children ''The Engineers Song"" which they all still laugh about from time to time.
But it is a double Whammy because of how he died. You see He died celebrating Remembrance Day in 1996. In the small town in Ontario where they retired, his last words to my Mother were ""are my medals on straight"". With her commenting that he should quit being a fuss budget he left to march with his legion buddies in the remembrance parade to the Church. He probably should not have been marching as he had some trouble walking and keeping up, but I cannot think of anybody who would have been able to stop him if they tried. He made it to the church ok, but as soon as they marched into the church and he sat down in the front pue, he had a heart attack and died right in the Church. No goodbyes, no notice, but probably just the way he wanted to go. He was with his buddies, his God, and some of his family and was remembering and honouring all those who sacrificed so much so his kids and grand kids could have such a free and peaceful life. What a way for him to go.
PS You Engineer brats can probably remember how ""organized"" our RCE fathers used to like to tell us they were. Dad had always said he wanted to be buried in his Legion Uniform. Our Family likes to joke about the fact that he already had it on when he died and the church he died in was right next door to the funeral home in this litle town. Must have been all that RCE training, eh??
Can't help thinking about Mom right now too and all those times Dad was away for a year or months at a time and how she kept the family together. When she passed two years ago we found a Letter my Dad had written to me from Egypt in 1957 when I was 9 years old and he was over there for a year. He asked me to look after my Mom and my younger brothers and sisters. The tears are flowing as I write this and think of how well all our parents looked after all of us and how much they were prepared to sacrifice to give us what we have today
We all have a right to be Proud of our parents and I thank you or letting me share this with you and for your guest book entries that let me share your Pride in your relatives.
Added: November 16, 2006
Name: Barry McPhedran
From: Niagara Falls, Ontario
E-mail: bmcphedran@hotmail.com
Hi fellow Shiloites. Tripped across the site looking for info abouts PEHS and lo and behold, I find the shilobrats. Excellent idea and I hope to contribute at a later date.
Was born near Rivers. My dad was with the MP's and we lived there from 1958-65 and again from 68-70.