Jack Bennett, 95, and several members of his family wandered to a quiet area of the Murrayville cemetery after Remembrance Day services to place flowers on the grave of another veteran and longtime friend.
Bennett was a navigator in a Lancaster bomber during the Second World War and just about didn鈥檛 make it home.
鈥淥n a bombing trip to Nuremberg, we were hit by anti-aircraft fire and we had to bail out,鈥� he explained about a 1944 flight. 鈥淲e managed to get over southern France before we had to parachute out.鈥�
Bennett served from about 1942 to 1946, makes a point of going to local Nov. 11 services.
鈥淚 came back to Canada in 46 and I鈥檝e been, of course, [attending services] up to right now,鈥� he said.
This year he and family attended the community-organized event at the Murrayville cenotaph.
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The service featured the unveiling of a permanent plaque detailing the impact of war on 91原创, with new installations in the Murrayville and Fort 91原创 cemeteries. More than three dozen men from this community were killed in the First World War.
For the ceremony the Canadian Museum of Flight its replica Sopwith Pup plane at the cemetery, and a vintage aircraft flew over the service. As well a formation team did a flypast.
In preparation for Sunday morning鈥檚 service, small Canadian flags were placed on the graves of veterans, a visual reminder to those attending of the many who served and who are no interred at the Murrayville cemetery. Unfortunately, by the time the service happened, many of the flags has been torn off and all that remained were small white sticks.
鈥漅egretfully, someone has taken all the little memorial flags off our veterans鈥� graves,鈥� emcee Rosemary Genberg noted.
Before beginning the formal program she paid tribute to a local resident who was instrumental in the services last year. Dave Manson was a member of the Retired Veterans鈥� Association. He collected flags and placed 240 around the driveway last year. He has since passed away.
