A catchy little poem

Heroes Remember

A catchy little poem

Transcript

I joined the legion in 1946, I guess, I didn't in ‘45 and ‘46 and it was out in a rural area in Elrose and a smaller legion but it's a pretty good service club. It did everything it could for the returning guys and then I transferred to Rosetown for a while and then back to Elrose and then to Saskatoon. But no, I think they did as good a job as could be expected, like you know. They had, the buildings had to be built and there was always something to do and, and I served in most every position in, in the legion in Elrose like, but I couldn't go too far away from home, like zone commander or district commander, because I had a family and wanted to spend as much time as I could with them. You know, it's getting harder. I don't go up to Sask Place anymore because its just too much, too hard to get into, for me. I'm not too mobile and I, I, they have, I live in Montgomery and that's a Veteran's area and they have their own little service there and that's where we go and then I come down to the legion afterwards. But the, this year, I went to Bishop Mahoney Church and it was a little hard, because they start asking a lot of questions and you know. It just sometimes, things kinda pile up on you a little bit. But no, I, once the war was over, I tried to leave it over there, that is what..., but you know it's coming back now. As you get older, Betty says, "You talk about it." We never talked about it for thirty years hardly, you know. "When you pin that poppy on and remember those who died,

View of a beach landing as seen from a landing craft.

Remember too, the men who fought beside them and survived.

Soldiers on a beach.

They came home to start again but struggled with their mind. To forget the horror of the days and the hell they left behind. Wounded though that did not bleed,

Soldiers engaged in an urban battle.

they cried for close friends lost, But fought on bravely for they knew freedom was worth the cost.

Soldiers gathered together with smiles on their faces.

Though they are old and scarred for life,

Injured Soldier being carried on a stretcher.

they suffered for us all And in their dreams, the battles rage and fallen comrades call. So when you hear that honour roll, the names of those who died,

Helmet in the sand.

Remember too, the men who fought beside them and survived." I thought that was kind of a catchy little poem. I can think of all the guys left there and it still brings tears to my eyes. I clipped that out of a paper about four or five years ago and it just seemed to hit me.

Description

Mr. MacDonald describes his Legion involvement, Remembrance Day, and recites a poignant poem to surviving Veterans.

Clifford MacDonald

Mr. MacDonald was born near Hughton, Saskatchewan, on March 28, 1923. He left home at the age of 15, and worked at odd jobs until becoming an underage recruit in the army, 67th Battery at Rosetown, Saskatchewan. After completing gunnery training in England and Ireland, Mr. MacDonald spent some time on a Bofors gunnery crew in England's coastal defence system. He then became a gunner with the 5th Anti-tank Regiment, and was involved in forcing the German retreat from France, Belgium and Holland. After the war, Mr. MacDonald returned to Saskatchewan and purchased a farm under the Veterans Land Act. He has been a Legion member for more than 60 years.

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