A moving tribute to Sarnia’s fallen soldiers

This week I had the privilege of wandering through the impressive display of signs representing the fallen soldiers of Sarnia and area, across from the Legion in Centennial Park. According […]

This week I had the privilege of wandering through the impressive display of signs representing the fallen soldiers of Sarnia and area, across from the Legion in Centennial Park. According to information provided on the project website, the city-wide project also includes signs on the lawns or boulevards of still-existing or former residences of fallen soldiers.

As Nov. 11 approaches, I’d like to encourage everyone to stop by and spend a few moments. It’s a beautiful, touching display, and I found it particularly moving to read the street addresses of each person’s home — streets familiar to us all, housing our family, friends and neighbours, just as they did when these young people served.

World War I, the Second World War, the Boer War, the Korean War, the war in Afghanistan and service in Canada are represented. I expected the experience to be somewhat grim. While it was sad to see the fresh-faced photos and remember how young many of these men were, what I mostly felt was pride and deep respect.

My sincere thanks to the organizers and supporters of this project. We are not often given such a concrete opportunity to think about the importance of the sacrifices that were made for us.

Rest in peace, gentlemen. Sarnia is grateful, and we will never forget.