London, Ontario
A Second World War veteran and serving member of the Canadian Forces for more than 36 years, Mr. DesChamp has been a member of The Royal Canadian Legion for 30 years and was awarded Life membership in recognition of his volunteer work. In addition, Ontario Provincial Command presented him with the Meritorious Service Medal and the Palm Leaf. For more than 13 years, Mr. DesChamp has been Secretary and Treasurer of the London Veterans' Memorial and Graves Committee, whose mandate is to ensure that more than 5,000 deceased veterans are remembered annually. When vandals damaged his town's Memorial at the Cenotaph, Mr. DesChamp was successful at rallying the citizens in his community to raise the funds for its repair. For the past two decades, Mr. DesChamp has assumed the position of Chairman of the London Veterans Remembrance Day Planning Committee and the Manor and Highland Park Remembrance Day Planning Committee, spearheading the volunteer efforts of London's veterans' organizations to ensure that the city's residents have the opportunity to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. He has worked tirelessly with veterans' organizations, the Canadian Forces and the media to achieve wider awareness of the November 11th ceremony. Mr. DesChamp was among six local Legion members who initiated semi-annual carnivals, putting the proceeds towards the purchase and distribution of Christmas gifts to veterans at Parkwood Hospital. Mr. DesChamp is well known in the veteran community for his dedication to veterans, driving them to medical appointments and on shopping trips. In 2002, Mr. DesChamp was presented with the Queen's Jubilee Medal.