Since the end of the 19th century many hundreds of men and women from the Ponoka area have bravely served our nation in all areas of the armed forces in the devastating corridors of war, during peacekeeping efforts, and in the reserve corps at home and throughout the world. Their valiant efforts and sacrifices have covered a span of more than 100 years and continue to the present day, and they must never be forgotten.

Our deep respect and appreciation can be shared throughout our community by wearing a bright red poppy, as well as by attending the annual Remembrance Day parade (10:15 a.m.) and ceremonies at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Ponoka branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Of the more than 800 veterans from this area who have served in the many divisions of the army, navy and air force, a great many would give the supreme sacrifice on the field of battle, a lot have now passed away and all others will always proudly cherish the memories and continue to salute their comrades of past and present.

In Reflections this week, we have chosen photos of Ponoka veterans at random from many books, as well as listing generations of town and district individuals who have and always will proudly wear the uniforms of our Canadian forces. Of course, it was impossible to publish them all on this page but this article is dedicated to each and every one of our soldiers and their families from the past and present.

(See photos in the eEdition or in this week’s Ponoka News.)

ARMY VETERANS

Eleanor Dick

Helen Huscroft

Donald Reid

Glen Holmes

Harold Casey

Carl Cadek

Kenneth Stowell

William Griffith

Leslie and Neville Ruddick

Hershel Jevne

John and William Harris

Earl and William Huscroft

Jack Seifert

Bernard Reddick

Roy Wilson

Gordon Lee

Jack-Jack and Victor Wills

Donald and Clarence Kyler

Julius Lance

John and Sandy Mathewson

C. Armit

James Murray

James Buchanan

Leslie Ervin

Donald Rees

Gil Plant

Gordon Nelson

Arthur Bye

Eva MacDonald

George Godderis

In the Air force

Don Wolcott

Walter Burchnall

Glen Mah Poy

Michael Carter

Don and Bill Sutherland

Doug Innes

Berge Elgaard

Richard Slater

S. I. Dineen

Margaret Watson

R. Reese

Charles Schram

John Kitchen

Lawrence and Lloyd McKinnon

A.J. Crandall

Robert Mattern

Gordon and Vernon Kay

Harold Knipfel

Joe Farrell

Oscar Harman

Lester-Gordon and Gerald Brady

Ken Etzikorn

Stan Kembry

Leslie Finch

Joe Johnston

Jack Coote

Bruce and Doug Warren

Donald Boutwell

Wilson Kleckner

Ronald McKelvey

Harry Davies

Gordon Purnell

Donald Harris

Max and Harry Crandall

William Gill

Bernard Seversen

Fred Williams

Neil Hughes

Wilfred Jackson

Harry Ferguson

Delton Girling

Donald Purnell

Paul Christensen

Douglas Morison

Kenneth Nelson

Isabel Plant

J. B. Topper

In the Navy

Norman Creighton

Jack Kleckner

Bill Jones

E. H. Krefting

Frank Smith

Richard Thomson

Brandt McKay

Marvin Seversen

Thomas Chandler

Robert Watson

Norman Nelson

Edwin Massing

World War 1 Veterans

F. Ames

Charles Aylwin

Anthony Barrett

S. Bascombe

Edwin George Boddy

Edward Henry Brophy

Clifford and Francis Clayton

James Huston Cox

O. Davis

William Deardon

Arthur Dubbin

Ivan Myrrie Fisher

Gerard David Glyde

W. Grant

Jack and W. Jones

Daniel Joshua

Thor Krefting

Henry Larocque

Allan W. McLean

J. and W. Murray

L. Morrow

N.C.W. Nielsen

Thomas Phillips

Clement and Jim Pike

Robert Paton Sharpe

Herbert Shaw

Elmer Skinner

John Cedric Slater

Wesley Rosco Smith

Arthur Summerscales

Palmer Torgeson

Canadian Forces during WW II

Roy Joseph Cleveland

John Fraser Gordon

Orton Dodds

George Earl Wilson

Cecil Donaghy

Clarence Schierer

Bill Rutherford

Joe Sweitzer

Joseph Vogel

Stan Tofsrud

Robert J. Watson

Les Bossenberry

Arthur Caldwell

George Debney

Marie Despeigalaere

Clarence Jevne

George Edelman

Gene Guertin

Joseph Harper

Albert Hornby

Alfred Jensen

Roy Kinley

Douglas Kleckner

Jim Trahan

Julius Lance

Cliff Massing

Ken McMechan

Stan Monkman

Jim Murray

Harry Stegman

David Orom

Helen Read

Richard Reese

Earl Roberts

Edward Winter

Ernest Dahms

Walter Burchnall

Donald Wilson

George Wheatley

Frank-James and Ken G. Smith

Richard (Bud) Slater

Joseph (Hector) Labrie

Joseph Gordon Brady

George Cameron

Duane Guy Kirk

Willard Doran

Eddy Donald

Gilbert Ehrman

John Harris

John Hedrich

Ken Fenske

Earl (Jeff) Huscroft

Robert Kay

Kenny Raymond

Raymond Marinus Krefting

Clarence Lee

Kenneth Lucas

James MacWilliam

Frederick Keith Miller

Ernie Meyers

George Patenaude

Albert Quast

Robert J. Riddoch Jr.

Ernest Riley

Alex Rutherford

Svend Sondergaard

Stuart Innes

Gordon Waldern

William Wheatley

Douglas Wiles

Mardon Oliver Tulk

Tourance William Turner

L. Watt

William John and Bert Wilson

Lawrence and Roy Wyatt

Dennis Jones

Clarence and Irving Seagrave

Don Wiltse

Devere Stowell

Morley and Ronald McKelvey

M Ruddick

Fred-Ernie and Stanley Hickmore

Jack Seifert

Leon Stoddard

Ken Nelson

Bernhard Lynn

Harold Casey

Harold Luce

Don Stowell

Milton Gilchrest

Thomas J. Cooper

Elmer Heater

Herman Zimmerman

Robert Crawford

James Griffiths

William Riley

Allan Watson

Doris Huscroft

William Bazelik

Vic Courser

Eve Justin

Mary Burns

Walter Schierer

Glen Mah Poy

Dean and Ken Ireland

Don Purnell

Gordon Lee

Malvern Hughes

Trent Russell

Mark Walters

Betty Seifert

Walter Taylor

Milton Tumlinson

Les Finch

Muriel Harman

Don and Robert Stowell

Bill and John Harris

Bernard Lynn

Glen Holmes

Sophie Koleyak

Bill Griffiths