Some wore their uniforms, others chose to dress down, but the men and women who have served in Canada’s military were honoured recently by the Mt. Arrowsmith Branch 49 Royal Canadian Legion.
There was a full house of veterans of all ages Sunday, June 2 at the Parksville Legion for an appreciation lunch.
Legion spokesperson Gale Mossman said the branch hosted the sold out event to honour all veterans who have served their country by providing a lunch for them and giving them the opportunity to meet and swap stories. The lunch was open to all veterans within the local area and Mossman acknowledged that it is important to remember the men and women who served selflessly to help make this a better place for everyone.
“What we want to do is raise awareness of the debt we owe to all our veterans — no matter what their age,” said Mossman.
Those who served to protect our freedom, champion human rights, promote Canada’s values and preserve democracy made the ultimate sacrifice and Mossman said it is important to recognize this not just on Remembrance Day.
“The uniqueness of the event is that while we take the time to honour those who died in battle on November 11th through our Remembrance Day services; we also need to honour those who came home and slipped back into civilian life. They served their country by fighting when called upon and then have (and still are) contributing to their communities.”
Provincially, Legion Week will be celebrated June 24 to 30. Events will be taking place around B.C.
Although nothing formal has been planned in Parksville for Legion Week, members says people are encouraged to visit the Legion to learn more about what they do in the community.