Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia
Major Samson is a currently serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces. He regularly attends Remembrance Day ceremonies, even when deployed. In 2010, he helped organize a Remembrance Day ceremony in Israel and actively participated in laying wreaths on the graves of fallen Canadian soldiers buried there. In 2014, he was parade commander in the Hammonds Plains Remembrance Day Ceremony. Major Samson personally sends letters and cards to the parents of fallen soldiers he knows, to reassure them that their child’s sacrifices will always be honoured and remembered. Prior to joining the Army, while working as a civilian lawyer, Major Samson helped Veterans, at no cost, with administrative processes related to Veterans’ rights and benefits. He authored an article concerning lawyers who are Veterans which was recently printed in the Canadian Bar Association-Nova Scotia publication. In 2012, Major Samson completed a Master of Laws thesis focusing on how military members and Veterans with operational stress injuries are treated by the Canadian justice system. This work advocated for improved processes within the Canadian legal landscape to assist Veterans, and his thesis is currently being used by civilian mental health courts as a reference. Major Samson is a member of the Greater Hammonds Plains-Lucasville Memorial Committee and is working toward the creation of a cenotaph or Veteran memorial in the area.