Local veteran and veterans’ advocate Jan Robertson was honoured in a ceremony held Dec. 12, 2012 in Vancouver.
She was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for her continuing work on behalf of veterans as well as her work at ensuring the contributions of veterans are never forgotten.
Currently, Robertson is unwell and was unable to attend the ceremonies but was thrilled when Col (ret) Darshan Singh Sidhu, president of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Society of British Columbia and RSM (WO ret) Devinder Singh Darmi, founding member of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Society of British Columbia agreed to accept the commendation on her behalf.
“It was a great honour to have these two men go on my behalf to receive this award,” Robertson said.
Thirteen citizens from British Columbia were honoured at the ceremony last month, where Minister of Veteran Affairs, Steven Blaney presented these individuals with their commendation.
The Minister of Veteran Affairs commendation includes a bar, which can be worn below official decorations on a recipient’s blazer, a lapel pin for civilian wear and a certificate.
The commendation is presented to individuals who have contributed to the care and well-being of veterans and to the remembrance of their contributions, sacrifices and achievements. It is intended primarily for veterans, but in some circumstances may also be awarded to non-veterans.
Robertson certainly is well-qualified to receive this commendation.
She is a veteran of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. She graduated with the prestigious Nurse of the Year award from the British Armed Forces in 1966. Robertson immigrated to Canada with her husband and first-born daughter in 1974 and while researching for her master’s degree, wrote an article for the Vancouver Sun titled The Men of the Punjab.
For her work, Robertson was honoured as the first woman and non-Sikh to be granted membership to the Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Society of British Columbia. Since obtaining membership, she has been given the Sikh name “Kaur” and was presented with a bracelet call the “kara.”
Robertson continues to research and write articles highlighting her own service experiences and those of other Second World War veterans. She is very involved in educating today’s youth through her stories and teachings on Canada’s role in the Second World War.
As a member of Branch 94 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Quesnel, she visits schools on Remembrance Day to give presentations.
Robertson also co-owns a website, www.kitbagmates, for veterans of the Armed Forces and, through this free website, she initiated a fundraising campaign in order to send a veteran to the Normandy beaches. In 2010, she was invited by the Normandy Veterans Association to attend the ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland and while there, she recorded a DVD which features the graves of six men from Quesnel who were killed and buried in Holland during the Second World War.
“Veterans (especially Allied Commonwealth Forces) know the military life, respect the sacrifices and try make a degree of difference for veterans in Canada, by honouring them in whatever way we can,” Robertson said of her tireless work.
“It may be as simple as “chipping in together” to pay for a veteran to return to the Beaches of DDay to pay his/her final respects to long dead comrades or it may be by educating the next generation in schools and universities as to why it’s important to maintain and defend our Canadian democracy by sticking your neck out.”
Robertson added that even after you have completed active service, you are never really discharged.
“It falls to us to defend the memory of those who paid the ultimate price in the service of their country.”
The Minister of Veteran Affairs Commendation has been awarded annually since 2002 and Robertson said it’s a privilege to receive the award.
“I feel deeply honoured to be ranked amongst the likes of Cliff Chatterton, Paul Gross (Director/Actor Passchendaele) and R.H. Thomson and Phil Dodderidge (FEPOWs – WWII),” she said.
“It’s quite humbling to be counted amongst such heavyweights in the Veteran world.”
