HKVA
President Report – Phil Doddridge
Hello from down east. Winter here has been severe, as it has in most of the rest of Canada. More snow than for many a year. But we will survive. We always have.
FUNERALS
Most of what has been occupying my time lately has been attendance at the funerals of friends. Bob Olscamp and Hector Hunt, as of this writing, are the latest of our Hong Kong Family who have gone to their rewards. Bob was 87 years old and Hector was 96. Bob’s family, Carol, Jacques and Mike were in attendance in Campbellton. Hong Kong Vets Graham Boudreau, Allison Pollock, Bob Barter and I were also there, and I was told that Henry Lyons had visited the funeral parlour the evening before the funeral.
Hector, the third of the HK Hunt brothers, was laid to rest in Chandler in a moving ceremony attended by HK Vets John Duguay, Bill MacWhirter, Bob Barter, Paul Dallain, and myself.
I think that the latest count of HK Vets stands at 114.
Arnold Ross, at ninety years of age, is still going strong. I saw him yesterday at the funeral of yet another friend, a RCNVR veteran and lifelong friend.
CAMPBELLTON PLAQUE
On the evening of December 8, the City of Campbellton unveiled a plaque in the Civic Centre Park, dedicated to the memory of Hong Kong Veterans. It was a chilly evening, but that didn’t prevent a huge crowd from attending the outdoor ceremony. It was a testimony to the respect for HK Vets that the people of the area hold. A copy of the plaque will appear on the HKVCA web site, as well as a copy of the proclamation by Campbellton which reads in part,
“THEREFORE, I, Mark Ramsay, Mayor of the City of Campbellton, do hereby proclaim the month of December, 2007 as ‘Hong Kong Veterans Month’ in the City of Campbellton”.
I have written a letter of thanks to the Mayor and Counsellors.
Campbellton was well represented in the Royal Rifles, but with the passing of Reggie Law, no HK Vets are left there now, although we still have Graham Boudreau, Henry Lyons and Allison Pollock living in the Campbellton area.
Nathan Greenfield
Some time ago we received a request from Nathan Greenfield, the author of several books on Canada’s role in various world conflicts.
Greenfield has recently been in the Gaspe area, interviewing as many of those of us who are left, collecting material for another book on the Canadians in Hong Kong. He visited me on a snowy day and stayed for two and a half hours. He had with him a suitcase full of books, folders of documents, cameras, sound equipment, even documents in Japanese that he was waiting to have translated. He wasted no time on small talk, but got right to the point. He was very knowledgeable, having no doubt studied many accounts of the battle. Hong Kong Veterans across Canada can expect a visit from Greenfield if he hasn’t already seen you. His book should be interesting.
VETERANS CANADA WIDE
Living, as I do, in the far reaches of Canada, and getting to the point where my travels are generally confined to local visits, I fear that my attention is unduly concentrated on the HK Vets who live near me.
I rely heavily on Derrill, who is the secretary of the HKVA in addition to his other duties in HKVCA. Derrill represents me at meetings that I normally should attend, and keeps the presence of the Association in the minds of the officials whose influence can affect our welfare.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I want again to express my gratitude and that of my fellow HK Vets, to the Commemorative Association. The executive committee, of which I am privileged to be a member, however silent, has managed our affairs, made many important contacts in the world of business and government, and represented us ably on many fronts. I feel confident that our future and the lasting memory of Hong Kong Veterans is in good hands.
In the haste to get this to Carol before the deadline, I’ll stop for this time. Be good to each other and may God Bless.