Memoriam Eorum Retinebimus; this phrase is Latin for, ‘We Will Remember Them’.
On Saturday morning, June 24, scores of people at the Outlook Cemetery did just that when Outlook Branch 262 of the Royal Canadian Legion hosted a special ceremony honoring fallen and departed veterans as part of its Veterans’ Memorial Project.
Present for the ceremony were members of neighboring Legion branches, as well as Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski, MLA Greg Brkich, Art Hauberg (oldest serving local veteran), Outlook Mayor Ross Derdall, and Saskatchewan Legion Vice President, Keith Andrews.
Branch 262 President Lyall Campbell served as the MC, and he commended the enormous effort by Branch Secretary John McPhail as well as Garth & Maureen Weiterman in researching names of local veterans for their memorial project.
The question of whether Legion activity was alive and well in communities across the province seemed to go answered by the large crowd in attendance, according to Lukiwski.
“I encourage all of you who may have doubted whether legions in small communities can survive to take a look around you,” said Tom. “It is so vitally important for legions in small communities across Saskatchewan and across Canada to continue to thrive and operate, and to recognize those who’ve served our country, many who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Brkich said the sacrifices made by men and women long ago ensured that we can have the freedoms that we enjoy today.
“I think it’s appropriate that as Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, we honor the veterans; the men & women who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we could have 150 years of freedom,” said Greg. “We’ll have many more of those years thanks to them giving that ultimate sacrifice.”
Vice President Andrews said he was happy to see for himself the work being done at the Outlook branch to ensure the memory and legacy of local veterans is far from forgotten.
“When I first spoke to Comrade John (McPhail) and he told me about the project the Outlook branch was working on, I was very intrigued,” said Keith. “Over time, I heard more and more about it. Then I read the article in The Outlook, and now I get to see for myself the fruits of your labor. Comrades, Outlook Branch No. 262 really *does* remember them, thank you!”
Mayor Derdall said the men and women of the Outlook Legion are to be commended for their work in this special project.
“They worked long and hard to bring this to fruition and deserve a tremendous amount of credit,” he said. “If you meet one of them on the street, say thank you very much.”
Secretary McPhail went into the details of the Legion’s memorial project, which also held a previous ceremony at a handful of local cemeteries last October in which metal maple leaf markers were placed at the gravesites of veterans, emblazoned with the words, “Lest We Forget”. In his statement, John said there are mixed feelings about seeing the memorial project come full circle.
“We at Branch 262 have some mixed feelings about the service of remembrance today,” he said. “This service marks the end of a lengthy project to honor the memory of 118 veterans from our area who are buried in eight local cemeteries. Without a doubt, there is an undeniable sense of accomplishment. Each member of our branch is proud to have been part of such important work. On the other hand, there’s also a tinge of sadness that always seems to accompany the completion of an important project or event.”
The vision of a project that spotlighted local veterans came together more than three years ago, and through the research done by McPhail and others, an initial list of 597 names was produced; a high number of local people who answered the call to serve their country in a time of need.
“It is with honor, respect, and above all, a sense of remembrance that every member of Branch 262, those present, and those who could not attend today join family and friends to demonstrate our thankfulness to the men and women from our community who served their country, and thereby earned our permanent gratitude,” said John. “As we stand under the vast prairie sky, it is sobering to realize that young men and women, born and raised only kilometers from this very spot, answered the call in World War I, World War II, and in subsequent conflicts.”
Pastor Daryl Olson gave a scripture and a prayer before the playing of the Last Post and Reveille, and what followed next was the sobering and honorable placement of the memorial markers. Families stood in front of the gravesites of departed loved ones, and Legion members stood and saluted as each metal maple leaf was pushed into the soil.
The occasion, though somber and a time of great respect and reflection, also served as a reminder that some of Canada’s smallest towns and areas produced some of the most selfless, giving human beings at times of conflict when so much was uncertain about the future.
“We live in Canada’s heartland; a land of farms and small towns whose harvest is not only crops, but some of the finest and most principled people on our planet; namely our veterans and their families,” said an emotional McPhail.
The list of veterans honored in the Legion's special ceremony were:
Ernest Johannes Anderson
Hartwell Glen Anholt
Harold “Bud” Arthur
Harold Brown
Jack Cameron
John Muir Cameron
Robert Ross Campbell
Irvin Robert Cobb
William J. Connor
William Wesley Cragg
Ernest A. Currell
George W. Currell
Kenneth L. Dahl
Richard Neville Lloyd Davies
John Bruce Davison
John Cox Davison
Errol R. Duncan
Knute J. Farden
Rev. John Ferry
Olaf Fonstad
Olav Forsberg
Gordon H. Gifford
Allan Grunerud
J. Rudolph Halliwell
Alden (Wood) H. Hanson
Jerry Hart
Richard R. Hettrick
George E. Hopkins
Roy W. Isralson
Murray A. Johnson
Samuel Judd
Alfred Kallio
Roy Kozak
Ed John Lane
Marner Lyle Larson
Olof Lein
Frank L. Loken
Orville Loken
William Sidney Longhurst
Harold C. McClain
Ernest McPherson
J. McPherson
John A. McPherson
Bernhard (Bennie) Myrol
James J. Partridge
William Rankin
Joseph Reichert
F.S. Reid
R. Allan Reid
Robert Reid
Wm. Robinson
Jas. W. Rogers
Alfred W. Simonson
Eric Alfred Skillingstad
John Clifford Smith
Gordon A. Stone
John Vavra
Alvin Vinge
