The drums and horns of the Revelstoke Highlanders Pipe Band filled the air Friday afternoon in memory of the roughly 350 Canadian military members who perished 81 years ago on the shores of Juno Beach.
A few moments of remembrance at the Revelstoke Cenotaph on June 6, attended by a dozen or so community members, brought to mind the bravery and commitment of 14,000 from Canada who landed at Normandy during D-Day in 1944, with eyes set on Europe's liberation from Nazi Germany.
The small ceremony, organized by the Royal Legion's Branch 46, saw chairman Mark McKee and Mayor Gary Sulz give remarks on how pivotal this day was for the fate of the Second World War, eight decades back.
"We're here to say thank you to those who contributed and to those who lost their lives," Sulz said.
"Unfortunately, thousands and thousands didn't see days like this," McKee recognized.
The wider push to take control of Normandy would cost Canada 5,000 lives, though by no means in vain.
"Their courage and sacrifice were instrumental in the success of the invasion — and ultimately, in the defeat of Nazi tyranny," McKee added, noting Canada's forces advanced farther inland off the beaches of Normandy than any other Allied military.
Among those lost on June 6, 1945, was Ernest F.J. Phillips, who died from combat wounds. Originally from Brighton, U.K., Phillips moved to Revelstoke with his family at age 13 and completed high school there. After graduating, he helped out with the paint and decoration business his father, a First World War veteran, ran in town.
Phillips first enrolled in the Second Battalion of the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), serving with non-commissioned rank until relinquishing it for an overseas posting. There, he joined the First Battalion's third division and set out once again for England on Sept. 9, 1942.
"He had a quiet and pleasing personality and a voice of considerable charm," McKee shared, adding that Phillips married his wife a year prior to his service abroad and was planning to bring her back to Revelstoke after the war.
Another Revelstokian who perished in the events following D-Day was Pvt. Stewart Arthur MacKinlay, of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps' Westminster Regiment. He succumbed to injuries sustained April 15, 1945, during a battle in the Netherlands.
Read Black Press Media's previous reporting on Pvt. MacKinlay
"D-Day was more than a military operation," McKee continued. "It was a defining moment for Canada as a nation. It showed the world our strength, our resolve and our unshakable commitment to freedom."
These people's service and sacrifice lives on today through Canadians' dedication to peace, he added.
"Let us remember them, honour them and ensure that their stories are never forgotten."
