Royal Canadian Legion Branch 137 in Napanee will be participating in Legion Week from Sept. 17-23. It is our 89th anniversary as a Legion Branch and we continue to support our veterans of past and present, seniors and youth and raise interest throughout our community so residents can understand what we are about and see who we are.
This year Branch 137 will be involved in two major events. The first is on Sept. 18 and will be a dedication of a memorial plaque to honour Sgt. Jason Boyes, a Napanee resident, killed on duty in Afghanistan in 2008. We hope that you might join us at the Cenotaph on Thomas Street in Napanee at 11 a.m. for this.
The second event is on Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. Branch 137 will plant a Vimy Oak Tree on Thomas Street close to the cenotaph. The Vimy Foundation website states: “After the Battle of Vimy Ridge was won, many soldiers realized that they had been part of something truly great. Leslie Miller, born in 1889 in Milliken, Ont., looked around for a souvenir on the Ridge, which was completely devoid of structures or vegetation due to shell fire but he did find a half buried oak tree. He gathered up a handful of acorns. Those acorns were subsequently planted by him on farmland which is now home to the Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church. He called his farm the ‘Vimy Oaks Farm’. Today, several of the original oaks survive.”
We hope to see you at both events during Legion Week.
Chris Ingersoll,
First Vice-president,
RCL Branch 137,
Napanee