THUNDER BAY — Though more than a century has elapsed since the conclusion of the First World War, and several decades since the Second World War and Korean War, the history of the Canada's military contributions is still alive with local service members continuing to serve international deployments.
Hundreds of people gathered Saturday morning for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at Waverley Park to honour the past and present members of the country's armed forces.
George Romick, the first vice president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5, said it means a lot to have the community show up and pay respects.
"We need to keep everybody educated about the conflicts of World War I, World War II, Korea, peacekeeping, Afghanistan, so that we hope this never happens again," Romick said.
"We're always praying this never happens, unfortunately it does happen. We need to remember the veterans of all wars and conflicts who gave us the freedom to do what we can in Canada."
Every passing year pushes the historical conflicts Canada participated in — like the First and Second World Wars — a little further into the past. This year marks 70 years since the end of the Korean War.
It's important to keep the more recent generations of veterans in memory, Romick said, adding there will always be veterans present for the ceremonies.
"Those stories are very important. We've always heard the stories of World War I, World War II, Korea — now we're starting to hear the peacekeeping stories and Afghan stories coming out," Romick said.
Three Thunder Bay soldiers — Cpl. Anthony Boneca, Pte. Robert Costall, and Pte. Josh Klukie — were between the ages of 21 and 23 when they died in 2006 while serving in Afghanistan. An aunt of Boneca laid the first wreath during the ceremony that represents Silver Cross mothers.
"I think we need to just remember that there are people that are signing up and going out to make sure the freedoms we have are ongoing, and we need to be respectful and honour them in whatever way we can," said Legion branch president Katriina Myllymaa.
Myllymaa said her husband is a 20-year naval veteran, and that for many veterans Remembrance Day brings back a lot of memories.
"I think it's a day of reckoning. They go back and remember the things that have happened, but I think they also remember a lot of the friendships they had with the individuals they served with," she said.
Romick travelled to France and Belgium earlier this year on a Legion pilgrimage of remembrance, where he visited cemeteries, monuments and battlefields.
"What really stuck with me was the cemeteries," Romick said. "You'd have the big cemeteries that had 5,000 or 6,000 soldiers in them, and then you'd go to the little ones that would have 100, 200 or 300. What really hit me is that a lot of the graves are unknown soldiers. Nobody knows who they are."
