Reliable Sources Spring 2023.pdf -

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Reliable Sources Newsletter of The RCL Branch 8 Stratford At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them… Spring of 2023 Edition, v.12 This Edition dedicated to the honour and the memory of Arthur H. Boon, WW2 Veteran, D-Day Fighter, Canadian patriot, European hero, 75-year Legion member, proud family man, friend to all Proud Sponsors of 19 Squadron Stratford Air Cadets Branch 8 Directory Address: RCL Branch 8 Stratford, 804 Ontario Street, Stratford N5A3K1 Phone number: 519-271-4540 Email address: [email protected] President: Stephen Zurbrigg First Vice: William Rothernel Second Vice: Frank Mathieson Sergeant at Arms/Zone C-2 Commander: Ken Albert Chaplains: Rhonda Lee Read, Hayden Fischer Immediate Past President/Sports Chair: Dave Mewhinney Secretary/Poppy: Dale Bast Treasurer: Bev Hunter Branch Service Officer: William Rothernel Membership/PRO: Frank Mathieson Special Events Coordinator: Dave Hartney Public Relations Marketing and Bar: Bill Rothernel Youth Education/Legion Supply: Linda Hunter Leadership and Development: Hayden Fischer Seniors Program/Ways and Means: Donna Cassel Other Legion sub-committees and departments: Sick and Visiting: Pearl Alles Facility Booking Chair: Anne Boyd LA President: Mary Helen McIntosh Dear Comrades and Friends of the Legion This Branch recently said goodbye to Comrade Art Boon who has been a Stratford member here longer than most of us have been alive. As someone who joined Branch 8 about 20 years ago, I was in awe of Art as someone who was not afraid to share his knowledge and experience of WW2 with anyone. In those years, anytime we sat down together, I had a multitude of questions, things that my parents and our veteran neighbours back home refused to talk about when I was younger. I saw the world of WW2 first-hand and understood war dynamics more fully when I later visited Juno Beach, Groesbeek Cemetery, and even Vimy Ridge. In this edition I have opted to reprint the Toronto Sun article as it tells his full story. Thanks to Joe Warmington for a well written article and to Linda Hunter for her editing. Rest in peace, Art, there are some people in our lives we will never forget. Dale Bast, Editor We Will Remember Him Branch 8 Stratford mourns the passing of Arthur Henry Boon. 1924-2023 Our Branch flag was flown at half-mast to mark his passing. Condolences to the Boon Family from Branch 8. *************************************************** In this tribute to Art, I have reprinted the article from the Toronto Sun by Joe Warmington, written at the time of Art’s passing. Many tributes have been written and spoken but this article to me best captured Art’s life contribution, his spirit, and his heritage. When you think of your freedom, take a second to remember Art Boon and the thousands of others who fought to ensure it. The Second World War veteran took part in the landing on the beaches of Normandy and proudly helped with the liberation of the Netherlands. They just don’t come any more legendary than Arthur Henry Boon, born Nov. 12, 1924. It’s with a heavy heart to report the iconic Stratford veteran died last month at 98. “Art Boon was a champion of Canadian war veterans and a well-known fixture of the local community,” said a news release sent out by his friend Mark McCauley. “At age 19, his first encounter with battle was the invasion of Normandy on D-Day — June 6, 1944.” He joined the war effort at the age of 15 and eventually ended up going overseas with the 19th Canadian Army Field Regiment, said his family, adding, “his first action in the war was at the invasion on D- Day, June 6, 1944, and he would fight in many battles up the coast of France, through Belgium, Holland and eventually Germany.” His work In France, in June every year, the poppies grow wild and free, above a roadside photo with veterans from the moment he returned to Stratford in 1946 until his death on March 12, is as commendable as it is legendary. Serving with the Perth Regiment, 3RCR, and 4RCR, he retired a chief warrant officer but kept working as the veterans’ affairs officer for the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 8, Stratford, for 35 years and also was bestowed the Legion Life Membership and Palm Leaf. He was in 1974 the 45th Canadian to be awarded the Order of Military Merit, and also received the Order of St. John and France’s prestigious French Legion of Honour. For 75 years, he helped organize every Stratford Remembrance Day while speaking about the price and importance of freedom at countless schools over those decades. With his wife Lois, who passed away in 2019, they raised their boys, Rick and Art Jr., to be proud Canadians like they were. One of my first tasks at the Juno Beach Centre was finding Art’s name on the kiosks outside, metres from where he came ashore in 1944. Not easy to find! Art was such a great Canadian. “He attended and helped to organize every single Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Cenotaph,” said McCauley. “He knew all too well the tolls war took on people, and spent much of his life trying to ensure successive generations would remember and respect the sacrifices made by the men and women who went to war to defend our freedom.” Art was one of those men who was humble but hugely capable. Tough and cerebral at the same time. You knew not to tangle with him but he was all heart. He would out-manoeuvre, out-think, and out-work his opponents in war, life, hockey, baseball or in political battles — all without ever seemingly breaking a sweat. And he never lost. Art with Mayor Martin Ritsma, the two families’ histories have ben intertwined for the past many decades from the Netherlands to Stratford. Art had legendary status in the Netherlands, according to Martin. A case in point is when I got to know him in 2015. At 90, he was all set to go over to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands, with his school teacher son Rick set as his primary caregiver. However, the Avon Maitland District School Board decided to not grant Rick a few days unpaid leave to accompany his father, which meant the veteran would not be able to go. It became a tussle between a stubborn administrator following rules and a country saying, “Are you kidding?” Poor Rick was caught in the middle. He didn’t want to let his students, employer, father, the Netherlands or Canada down. In the end, just hours before the flight was to leave, the board relented to pressure from an outraged public and spirited lobbying from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole, Defence Minister Jason Kenney, Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino, Don Cherry and singer Loreena McKennitt who is also an honourary colonel in the RCAF. Boon never had any doubt and held no grudges. “Lots of baseball games are won in the ninth-inning,” he joked. Soon after, he was with his pals – both living and those in the cemeteries – commemorating freedom and the extreme price paid for it. The scuffle to get to the anniversary was small in comparison to the battles he participated in during the war. He was wounded in the Battle of the Scheldt Estuary, but always felt his injuries were minor compared to those who didn’t get to come home. “More than 43,000 Canadians died in World War II,” said Art. The secret is to “keep going” as Art Boon did for 98 years. While he may now be gone, his journey reminds us that freedom is not free. RIP Art Boon. And thank you! Art is recgnized for 75 years of membership in the Royal Canadian Legion by District Commander Dean in 2022 at our Honours and Awards Ceremony. Happy Birthday Greetings, Albert Middleton! Albert Middleton is a veteran of World War Two who recently celebrated his 108th birthday in Veterans’ Memorial Lodge in Victoria BC. Considered one of the oldest of our WW2 veterans, he came from England as an orphan and grew up in Ontario. He volunteered for the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942-46 and spent most of the war “dodging all the bullets.” After the war, he returned to a life of working in factories and on farms in Ontario and then retired to Victoria. His family recently gathered with him for his special birthday and is pictured below with his son Wayne and his daughter Darlene. You might recognize her from Blowes Stationery and Office Supplies in Stratford, where she works today. Next time you are around, give Darlene your best birthday wishes for her Dad! Travels Through France 2023 My wife and I managed to escape Canada this spring with a boat cruise down the Rhone River in Southern France. As a history afficionado, I made it a point to find out about how France survived its split into two sections by the Nazis from 1942-44, with the bottom half being called Vichy France and being given more freedom than the north. The city of Lyon, third largest city in France, became the de facto capital. It was the headquarters of the Nazis, headquarters of the Gestapo, and also the centre for the French Resistance Movement. The commander in charge was Klaus Barbie, hand picked by Himmler to control the Resistance and the Jewish Deportation. The enemy took over a large Military College and Hospital in downtown Lyon and struggled to keep the Free French under control. Barbie’s first job was to break the Resistance through torture and execution. In two years, it is believed he killed 14,000 citizens at the Gestapo Centre and then turned to transporting as many Jews to concentration camps as possible. His nickname was the “Butcher of Lyon” and was the most despised person in France. Barbie escaped to Bolivia for 40 years and was returned in the late 1980’s to Lyon where he faced the courts and his accusers. He was sentenced to life and died in prison a few years later. The Gestapo headquarters in Lyon is now a memorial to those who stood up to the enemy and features photos and memorabilia to honour their memory. Thank you again to Art Boon and all the brave Canadians who pulled the plug on this depraved system in 1944 and saved so many lives with their Liberation of Europe. Entrance to the Lyon Memorial Plaque Translation: Here in 1943-44, the Nazi Gestapo, aided by traitors, tortured thousands of the Resistance and prisoners, before their death or deportation. Their sacrifice led to the liberation of France. The day in November, 1942 when the Nazis rolled into town, they thought they would be welcomed by cheering crowds. Barbie’s open-car entry into Lyon A show of force for the Franch spectators Prisoner garb Passport Counterfeiting Kit The Museum was teeming with French children, learning about their country’s history. I left the building in tears after hearing Barbie, at the trial. in his own words say, “It was war…” Doing Good Things At Our Legion This past spring we have made efforts to make our Legion a more socially diverse and fun place for our members and friends. We saw a Poutine Night, a Trivia Night, a Superbowl party, and the upcoming Spring Tea, all different types of events which have positive feedback and raised substantial funds. Special thanks to Dave Hartney and his Special Events Committee for taking a chance with something new. Scenes from Trivia Night, below on March 3, and winning trivia team below, led by Captain Jamie Cottle. Congratulations! Attention Veterans: a visit from the Provincial Service Officer coming up on May 18, 2023 in the PM. Call the Legion office to arrange a consultation if necessary. Our Poppy Funds in Action: Donations have been made to the RCL Bursary Fund, the RCL Charitable Fund, the Tri-District Hospital Board Fund, and the Ruck 2 Remember Fund for Homeless Vets. These were presented at our Spring District Convention in April. Finally Another Story From the Life of Fred Scott I told the story in the last edition of Fred Scott and his adventures in Italy with the Perth Regiment. It did lead to a recent conversation with Rheo Thompson who knew Fred very well. So the story goes, the Perths were marching down a dusty Italian road and they noticed a pregnant Italian woman lying in the ditch in apparent labour. Three of them jumped down and came to her aid, Sergeant Smith, Private Vern Dunseith, and Fred Scott. None of them were quite sure what to do to assist, but were relieved to see a medical vehicle coming up the road and two medics came over to help. They handled the situation capably and looked after her. One of the medics introduced himself to the Perths as William Hutt of Toronto, a young Toronto soldier, who had chosen to serve in the medical corps during the war. A few years later, when Hutt joined the Festival Theatre, he rekindled his friendship with Fred Scott and they became close friends. Zoom ahead several years and the City of Stratford decided to rename the Waterloo Street Bridge to the William Hutt Bridge in his honour. A small group of dignitaries, including Rheo as a city councillor, were on hand for the official ceremony. A crowd had gathered at one end of the bridge near Veterans Drive to witness this event. Suddenly, Mr. Hutt spotted Fred Scott in the crowd and waved him out of the crowd to be with him on the bridge. They embraced and exchanged a few words and the bridge was re-opened with the new name. After the event was over, Rheo asked Fred what did Hutt say to him on the bridge. His reply was that no one that day in Stratford had any idea of what life experiences those two had shared in Italy. Sharing some special memories, thank you, Rheo, for this little golden moment. . William Hutt, Companion of the Order of Canada