We remember them

By Ken Johnston
Editor

A large crowd of about 150 veterans and residents attended the indoor Remembrance Day Service in Rainy River last Wednesday. That number more than doubled when the students from both schools in Rainy River attended the outdoor cenotaph service a while later.
Legion President Gerry Marchuk welcomed everyone to the solemn ceremonies; making special reference to all the veterans in attendance. After the national anthem was sung, Gord Armstrong of the Covenant Church gave the invocation. He spoke of how God knows all of what is in our hearts and minds and of a lady on the news the night previous having lost her husband in Afghanistan and how her son has no father now. “We must be sure to remember the sacrifice they make for us. We must keep them in our memories.”
Just before the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month Rainy River Mayor Debbie Ewald had the daunting task of reading the names of every local soldier lost in the two World Wars and the Korean War. Everyone stood as the names were read and two minutes of silence was observed in their honour. Then President Marchuk read a verse from a poem by Laurence Binyon:
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”
The audience responded, “We will remember them.”
After singing Amazing Grace, the audience listened to Pat Giles of The Good News Fellowship Church who gave a scripture reading. The reading spoke of the Lord being our rock, fortress, saviour, shield and strength and how in distress all need to call upon the Lord for help.
The United Church Choir then sang the anthem “On Eagles Wings.”
Carolyn Kreger of the Lutheran Church in Bergland then offered a meditation. She spoke of her personal knowledge of war and how she learned a great deal from the late Eddie Roe who was a POW in WW II and later a janitor at the school she worked at. “Eddie shared his stories of pain and suffering but yet did not feel sorry for himself. He believed in what he was sent to do and that he was making a difference. I learned from him.” Kreger said, “We have so much to be grateful today. Remember (them) and live in hope that we will learn from the past.”
Anne Mailloux then sang a beautiful solo called “God Weeps.”
Father Alan Albao of the Catholic Church offered a prayer for peace, the audience sang “Onward Christian Soldiers and Gill Stamler offered the benediction before everyone proceeded to the cenotaph where 64 wreathes were laid.