The Westlake Brother Souvenir Association will be visiting the Cornwall Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297 on July 27, 2023.
This is an association of youth aged 13-25 whom will recognize and honour Canadian Veterans and Servicemen/women who, with allied forces, liberated France. They will be doing a reading of 6,000 names of the 47,000 Canadian soldiers who gave the supreme sacrifice in World War II. The youth are from Normandy, France.
The Westlake Brothers will be attending a Wreath Laying Service at the cenotaph located at the Legion Memorial Park at 11:00 am, and then proceed to the Royal Canadian Legion, 415 Second Street and proceed to read the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice. This will be ongoing throughout the day, and the public is invited to attend, listen to the readings and they may participate in the name reading.
“We are pleased to host youth acknowledging our service personnel,” said Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297 President, Marvin Plumadore. “To have youth travel from France and remember our fallen is to be commended.”
The Cornwall visit has significant importance due to the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry (SDG) Highlanders’ participation in the liberation. The SDG Highlanders landed in Normandy on D-Day on June 6, 1944, and were the first Allied regiment to enter Caen on July 9th.
By the war’s end, the regiment had suffered 278 killed and 781 wounded, while earning a further nineteen battle honours. To learn more about the SD&G Highlanders, visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/army/corporate/4-canadian-division/stormont-dundas-and-glengarry-highlanders.html).
In wrapping up their one-day visit, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297 will be offering them a dinner and safe travels throughout their tour of Eastern Ontario and Quebec.
