A Kelowna soldier killed in World War I now has a proper memorial at the Lions Park cenotaph in Rutland.
In 2015, veteran Al Schmidt noticed the cenotaph listed Private James Eastwood’s name but no other information such as his age or where and when he was killed.
Schmidt spent about 18 months searching for information about Eastwood before writing to the City of Kelowna for help.
“There was something truly inspiring about the effort that Al Schmidt put in to recognize this soldier, someone he never even knew,” said cemetary manager David Gatzke in a media release.
“When he walked in to my office carrying a two-inch folder filled with documentation of his attempts at finding out why the information was missing for this soldier, you could tell there was a connection that only a veteran could fully understand.”
The two men were able to track down the missing information with the help of veterans organizations, Veteran Affairs Canada and the Okanagan Military Museum.
A new bronze marker was ordered for Eastwood.
“Jim McCaffery, the president of the local Legion, made a petition to the Legion’s Poppy Fund to purchase the new bronze marker and Parks Services took care of the installation,” said Gatzke.
James (John) Herbert Eastwood was a single, 33-year-old millwright when he enlisted for overseas service in November 1914.
He suffered a gunshot wound to his head in August 1916 in France.
After recovering in hospital, Eastwood returned to action and was killed in April 1917.
He is buried at the Nine Elms Military Cemetery in Vimy, France.