EDMONTON – At 12 noon MT on Saturday, 128 full-sized Canadian flags were raised in remembrance, honour and tribute to 128,000 Canadian war dead and missing in action.
The event took place in several communities across Canada, including Sylvan Lake, Alta., Vernon, B.C., Ponoka, Alta., Kingston, Ont., and Charlottetown, P.E.I.
On the pole of each flag the name of a sponsored military hero or guardian was written. Organizers said those names represent the 1,000 souls symbolized by that one flag.
“Today is very impressive,” said Second World War veteran Hugh Green.
“I’m quite moved. And to see all those flags flying along the fences in the breeze, it’s quite touching.”
“I think back to the people I’ve served with and those that…I’m probably the last of a few,” Green said.
The flags will remain up until Nov. 12. Hero plaques and names will also remain in place until that time.
Gary Kother and his young family took part in the tributes to honour his father.
“He fought in the war and deserves some recognition,” said Kother.
“My father would be honoured. He never talked much about the war but you could certainly tell it was a big part of his life. The four short years left quite the impression on him.”
The Red Deer Pipe and Drum Band, colour parties, PTSD horses and veteran riders took part in the event on Saturday in Sylvan Lake.
A trumpeter played The Last Post and there was a vintage, Second World War Harvard flyover.
WATCH: The average age of World War II veterans is 90. One man is on a mission to document the stories of Canadian war veterans before it’s too late. Emily Mertz has more.
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