KAGAWONG—After a number of years and one too many setbacks, Billings township has now got its veterans banners in the village of Kagawong.
“Oh my gosh, they are so beautiful and what a tribute to the family members and the veterans,” stated Anna Aelick of the banners including one of her father Clarence Bjorklund who served in the Canadian army during the Second World War. “What an honour for the veterans and their families. It means so much to the families, and it was Rick Nelson and the Kagawong museum that made it happen.”
“We hoisted up 11 veterans’ banners today,” stated an elated Rick Nelson, curator of the Old Mill Heritage Museum last Wednesday. “The museum in cooperation with the municipality and local families and under consultation with the Cenotaph Board made it happen.”
“The 11 banners start with one at the top of the hill into the village of Kagawong at Dig and Doug (Cedar Furniture) and continue on hydro posts down to the marina area in the village,” continued Mr. Nelson.
Mr. Nelson noted, “the only criteria we had for residents requesting the names of veterans for the banners is that they had to live in Kagawong at some time in their life.”
The 11 veterans whose photo and war service information as well as the name of the sponsoring family include veteran Clarence Bjorklund who served in the Canadian Army in World War Two, Harry Elliot Haines who served in World War Two in the Canadian Army sponsored by the Haines Family, William Lyle Graham who served in the Royal Canadian Navy in WWII and was sponsored by the W.L. Graham Family; Murray Thomson, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in WWII; sponsored by the Thompson family, WWII Canadian Navy veteran George Boyd sponsored by the Boyd family, who also sponsored the banner for Tom Boyd a WWI veteran in the Canadian Army, Allan Tustian who served in the Royal Canadian Navy in WW2 and whose banner was sponsored by the Tustian family, veteran Austin Hunt Sr. who served in the Canadian Army in WW1 sponsored by the Hunt family, Donald Boyd Freeborn who served in WW2 in the Royal Canadian Air Force and whose banner was sponsored by Peter and Anne Marie Clarke, veteran Frederick George Green a WW2 veteran in the Royal Canadian Air Force, sponsored by the Green family, and Frederick Matthew Grahan, who served in the Canadian Army in WWI, sponsored by the Graham grandchildren.
The Old Mill Museum paid half of the costs, with the veterans’ families paying the other half of the costs involved for the brackets to hold the banners, the banners themselves and miscellaneous expenses, said Mr. Nelson who pointed out the township was very helpful providing in kind donations toward the banner project.
“And a big thanks to Dave Bowerman of D & L Contracting and Cement Finishing of M’Chigeeng who donated his, and an employee’s time to hoist the banners today,” said Mr. Nelson. “I would also like to acknowledge and thank Linda Bowerman of Little Current of the Little Current Branch 177 Royal Canadian Legion. I had turned to her for her experience in researching this type of project. She was very helpful.”
“The veterans banners are up now, and we will keep them up until after Remembrance Day,” said Mr. Nelson. He added, “once the banners come down, the brackets will stay up for use by other community organizations.”
