A memorial plaque was unveiled at the base of the Lennox and Addington cenotaph in Napanee on Monday in remembrance of Sgt. Jason Boyes, who was killed in 2008 while on tour in Afghanistan.
Members of the late soldier’s family were on hand and laid a wreath next to the plaque during the ceremony, which was held as part of the province’s Legion Week observation.
Boyes, a native of Napanee, was 32 when he was killed by a roadside bomb during a foot patrol.
This plaque memorializing Sgt. Jason Boyes of Napanee was unveiled at the L&A County cenotaph on Monday. (Adam Prudhomme photo)
“We remember him as a sergeant in the Canadian military, part of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry,” said Greater Napanee mayor Gord Schermerhorn. “We remember him as a dedicated soldier who loved serving Canada, who was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.”
A moment of silence was observed for Boyes.
“We remember him as a man who stated he was an ordinary Canadian who knew that the children of Afghanistan were ready for change and he and his buddies both felt the same way,” added Schermerhorn. “We will never forget him because his wife Alison and daughter MacKenzie, who he watched grow through e-mail pictures, deserve nothing less. We remember him for his dedicated service to Canada and our beliefs. We will never forget him as a child of Napanee, a husband and a father.”
Napanee Royal Canadian Legion Branch 137 helped organize the event and laid a wreath at the base of the cenotaph, as did L&A County warden Bill Lowry and Schermerhorn. Members of the Legion also stood guard and carried a Canadian flag throughout the dedication ceremony.
“As we gather to dedicate this plaque, it is not enough for us just to remember,” said Legion Branch 137 president Cathy Gardner. “This should be a day of dedication in which we resolve that these deaths shall not have died in vain.”
Boyes’ plaque is now a permanent part of the cenotaph, which is located on the grounds of the L&A County courthouse and joins the list of all known soldiers from the county who were killed in the line of duty during all of Canada’s overseas conflicts.