Unmarked graves of Alberta veterans receive headstones

Yvonne Sugimoto spends her time scouring through archives and old records, looking for cemeteries with unmarked graves for veterans, with a mission to preserve their stories.

“This particular grave has been unmarked for 103 years, so if I didn’t do it, who would?” she asked, gesturing to a grave in Pincher Creek’s Fairview Cemetery.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This particular grave has been unmarked for 103 years, so if I didn't do it, who would?" she asked, gesturing to a grave in Pincher Creek's Fairview Cemetery.

A ceremony was held Wednesday morning at the cemetery to mark the graves of Arthur White, William Buel McWilliam, John Alderson, Eugene Deschene and Edgar Goyens, serving as a permanent reminder of who they were and what they did for their country.

“We are here to bring recognition and appreciation to those people who gave their lives up for the rest of us that remain,” said John Morin, president of branch 43 of the Royal Canadian Legion.

The story of these five veterans is one that is all too familiar, as 20-30,000 unmarked graves in cemeteries across the country are believed to be those of veterans.

“Most of these men died alone without families, so they need someone to care,” Sugimoto said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Most of these men died alone without families, so they need someone to care," Sugimoto said.

Sugimoto began her search for unmarked graves seven years ago when she stumbled on a few of them in the Field of Honour in Lethbridge.

That initial find inspired Sugimoto to unearth more hidden stories and she became a board member of the Last Post Fund, an organization that ensures no veteran is denied a dignified funeral and burial or a military gravestone due to insufficient funds.

“They are community builders, pioneers of the community, so… this is one way to help tell that story.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They are community builders, pioneers of the community, so… this is one way to help tell that story."

You can find more information on the Last Post Fund’s unmarked grave program here.