Fourteen Canadian Armed Forces veterans and one current member were honoured for their sacrifices to represent our nation and to defend the principles of peace, freedom and justice last Wednesday at the Craik and District Health Centre.
Craik and area military men and women Cleve Bennett, John Duff, Wendy Elliott, Harve Fridel, Garry Gilbertson, George Hamilton, Sebastian Lang, Robert Leslie, Allan McCooeye, Lloyd Probert, Frank Taylor, Frank Watkins, Alex White, Frank Wright and Ryan Eyre each received a Lieutenant Governor’s Military Service Pin. The Pin symbolizes the gratitude of the Crown and the people of Saskatchewan for those who have served with honour and valour.
“For a long time I felt that military men and women who served the nation have not been recognized as they are in other countries and I think that it’s time within this country that we did that,” said Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Vaughn Solomon Schofield after she presented the honour to the 11 deserving men and women who were able to attend the ceremony. “This was I think the best way that I could find to honour them, so it’s my intention to give one of these pins to absolutely everyone in the province who has served in the military at one time or another or who comes from Saskatchewan who is serving in the military somewhere else.”
Royal Canadian Air Force veteran Cleve Bennett was the first veteran presented with the Military Service Pin by the Lieutenant Governor in front of a packed crowd of family and friends who all crammed into the Health Centre common room to view the occasion. Bennett enlisted with the RCAF in 1940, deployed to England in 1941 and worked with transportation services during the Second World War until his return to Canada in 1945.
John Duff received the pin for his service as an RCAF policeman and his work in radar surveillance in both Canada and Germany with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Schofield presented Wendy Elliott with the honour for her 26-year-career with the Canadian Forces, which included postings across Canada before her retirement as a petty officer first class in 1995.
“It’s an honour,” said Elliott, who will proudly display the Edwardian Crown pin on her civilian clothing as it is meant to be worn. “It’s nice to know some people recognize what we’ve done.”
To read more please see the April 21 print edition of The Davidson Leader.