Bill Cutress needed a little help affixing his poppy to the Vimy Ridge wreath laid before the cenotaph in Douglas Park today.
The 96-year-old Langley City man, who served six years in the navy and five years in merchant navy, joined two dozen people Sunday, April 9 for the Langley legion’s impromptu tribute to the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge.
“I like to get out and remember those who are gone,” he said of his attendance at this and other legion services.
As for any specific connection to Vimy Ridge, Cutress said he had none.
“I know the history of it, but that’s about it,” he said. “I just feel it’s important to be here and pay my respects.”
From his perch on his four-wheel scooter, Cutress watch as the brief service unfolded and Royal Canadian Legion Langley branch #21 president Wilma McEwen spoke of the days importance.
“On Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, a thousand Canadian soldiers stormed and captured Vimy Ridge in France,” she told the small crowd.
“It was one of the great victories of World War I… Historians say this victory marked the birth of Canada as a nation. It was the first battle in which all units of the Canadian army fought together, and their success was overwhelming,” McEwen said.
A decision to hold a ceremony in Langley, she said, came rather unexpectedly and only about a week prior.
When the Langley legion learned that their counterparts in Aldergrove were not going to be holding a service of any kind, McEwen said the Langley executive made a snap decision to hold one. Hence, she said, why there were no dignitaries and few spectators present.
Nevertheless, she said, the size of the crowd was not as important as the heartfelt meaning of the service.
“We gather today at the cenotaph to pay tribute to our comrades who game the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, and for the comrades who returned home knowing they had accomplished an amazing fete.”
