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