Trail Daily Times, November 10, 2015

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Lest We Forget

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NOVEMBER 10, 2015 Vol. 120, $ 05 Issue 176

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INCLUDING G.S.T.

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TRAIL T

TUESDAY

1895 - 2015

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New Trail office documenting soldiers who died during war time

Tribute to father

BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff

Sheri Regnier photo

It’s definitely worth a trip to the Gulch this week to see the window display at Parslow Lock and Safe, located at 804 Rossland Ave. Randy Smith is displaying family keepsakes from the Second World War, including his father Phillip Smith’s log book that captures the moment “cease fire’” was declared.

Remembrance Day ceremonies set throughout region BY SHERI REGNIER Trail Times

For decades Marlene Rusnell has been attending Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Trail Cenotaph. For many of those years her beautiful voice has touched those who gather, while she led them in singing “O Canada,” traditional hymns and God Save the Queen.

Rusnell recalls becoming part of the chorus back in the early 60s when she sang tenor in the city’s Welsh Male Quartet. Over the years as the singers’ faces changed, she’s carried on, attending the Nov. 11 ceremonies and lending her voice at 10:45 a.m. with whomever was in the lead. The last few years, singing the verses became a generational gift to all, when moth-

er was joined by daughter Leanne Harrison, as well as daughter Kim Kleineberg and granddaughters Kim Fines and Karli Harrison, when the latter three were in town. But no matter who Rusnell is standing next to, being part of the Remembrance Day program is an honour. “I do it because I have such a great deal of respect for our veterans,” she says. “And it’s

something I could do for the Legion,” Rusnell continued, noting Mr. Harold Branton. “I really would like him mentioned because he worked so hard for our Legion and helped us out so much.” Branton, transferred to the Trail Legion in 1968 when he moved his family to become Minister of the Baptist

An office in Trail is working quietly behind the scenes to tell the stories of military veterans who lost their lives in battle. The Canadian Fallen Heroes Foundation put down its roots in Trail this spring and has been connecting with West Kootenay families, Legions and historical societies since. The office is collecting biographies and photos to give proper recognition for those who made sacrifices. These stories have been etched on plaques for over a decade but are also now easily accessible online, an initiative the foundation started in 2012 in Alberta and more recently in B.C. from the Trail office. “The value in documenting it is just bringing it back to the home community,” explained Steven Hall, administration and communications from Trail. “A lot of times, especially in World War 1, there were a lot of people who were transient, they were looking for work, so the majority of our Alberta soldiers are actually from B.C. or Ontario and Saskatchewan.” Second World War fallen hero Donald Ernest Gibbon of Trail is one of the 175 West Kootenay soldiers honoured on the website www.canadianfallenheroes.com. The Warrant Officer Class I Pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force was killed during the allied advance through Italy when both engines failed on his Boston aircraft, and it crashed seven miles north-west of Foggia January 14, 1944. Gibbon was the son of William and Ethel May (Walton) Gibbon of Trail; he was 20 years old and is buried in the Bari War Cemetery at Bari, Italy, his online memorial notes. “We really try to touch on who they were before the war,” added Hall. “These are the people who settled our home communities and we try to find out as much information as possible.” The Trail office has formed relationships with local Legions, which provided names on the honour roll as a starting point. Rob Reilly, vice president of the Royal Canadian Legion in Trail, said the local branch proudly displays one of the foundation’s physical memorial

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Continued on 2 Contact the Times:

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