REMEMBRANCE DAY MEANS SO MUCH MORE
Local vets reminisce
Posted By Mark Ribble, Leamington Post
Posted 3 months ago
Remembrance Day means different things to different people.
To mark Remembrance Day 2009, the Leamington Post sat down with four veterans, all with different perspectives, but the same common thread.
Corporal Patrick J. Church is from Kingsville, but is currently stationed in CFB Petawawa, some nine hours away. His wife, Janeen, and two children are back home in Kingsville.
Church spent seven and a half months in Afghanistan last year and after personally knowing some of the fallen soldiers, Remembrance Day holds a lot more meaning to him.
"I hold that close to my heart," he said.
Corporal Church was stationed at forward operating base Wilson in the Zhari Panjwa district of Afghanistan with the 3 RCR N-Coy infantry.
After three years in the military, Church has yet to decide if this will be his life's work.
"I have 22 years left if I stay until retirement, but a lot depends upon my family situation," he said.
He admits it's very tough being stationed so far away from his home. He manages to get home a couple of days a month, but it's difficult on all of them, and before he can count on a future in the military, he must take his family into consideration.
As to the current mission in Afghanistan, Church is quick to explain his beliefs.
"I believe we're helping a lot over there with what we are doing, and I believe we are needed there to see it through," he said.
He also believes that the issues over there will likely not be resolved in his lifetime.
Robert Sovie, 83, is a veteran of both the Second World War and The Korean Conflict.
Born and raised in Leamington, Sovie did what many 18-year-olds did in 1942, and that was enlist in the armed forces.
He spent two years in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, based at HMCS Naden on Vancouver Island.
Sovie came home in 1944 but re-joined when the war broke out in Korea.
He was a full-fledged Leading Seaman AA1 (anti-aircraft first class) gunner aboard the HMCS Huron, based in Halifax from 1952 until 1957.
In late 1952, the Huron and its crew left Halifax for Korea and Sovie was aboard.
Based in Sosebo, Japan throughout the Korean Conflict, the Huron ventured out on patrol quite often and engaged in action as well.
"We were only a day and a half to Korea from base, so we would go out on patrol quite often", Sovie said.
He remembers one battle in particular where their sister ship, HMCS Iroquois, took fire from North Korean shore battery and three men were lost.
The Huron eventually came back to Halifax and then was sent back to Korea in 1955-56 for a peacekeeping mission.
Sovie enjoyed his time in the navy and still proudly wears his naval medals to this day on special occasions.
One of those special occasions is Remembrance Day, and he tries to make it to every one of them.
"It's good to remember", he says.
Autumn and David Albury of Leamington, are both veterans of the Second World War.
Autumn, now 84, was born in Owen Sound, but grew up near Red Deer Alberta before joining the Air Force at Sault Ste. Marie in 1943 as an 18-year-old.
She spent her time at basic training near Ottawa and then was stationed in Guelph for chef training, reaching the rank of Leading Air Woman (L.A.W.).
David, now 88, was born in Brisbane, Australia and grew up on a dairy farm during the depression. He joined the Royal Australian Air Force at 21, wanting to be a pilot.
After not being able to fulfill his dream, he re-mustered and his squadron eventually were given the opportunity to come to Canada. He eventually realized his dream and reached the rank of flight sergeant.
They sailed from Australia to Boston aboard the SS Mariposa, a passenger liner commissioned for troop transport during the war.
David and his squadron arrived in Guelph to spend some time at the base there, and also take flight training in St. Catherines.
While in Guelph, he says a lot of funny things happened. Having been from Australia, the men in his squadron hadn't seen a skunk before, and thought that the skunks were squirrels.
"One night, two of our men came in, stinking up the place, and said they'd caught a squirrel and had it under one of their coats", he laughed.
"Turns out it was a skunk they had caught, and they cleared the place out."
It was in Guelph that David and Autumn met and fell in love. After a brief courtship, they married in December of 1944.
After the war, they eventually settled in Woodslee, where they raised four children, three of whom spent time in the military. They have been in Leamington for the past 19 years and are about to celebrate 65 years of marriage.
Autumn believes everyone should experience the military life.
"I still feel that everyone should have to do two years in the service," she says.
Today, they will attend the Remembrance Day service and also the luncheon at the legion.
These four veterans share a common thread, and that is that they can appreciate the sacrifice made by those who have given their lives, because they've all been touched by war in different ways.
And they are all thankful for the freedoms we enjoy today because of those sacrifices.
