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George Peterson and Larry Stebbe were to be honoured at the Legislative Building on 7 December at a special memorial service to commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbour and on Hong Kong.  Unfortunately Larry had a heart attack and was in hospital so was unable to make it.  On behalf the Hong Kong Veterans, George received the standing ovation and a gift. Bonnie Korzeniowski attended our General Meeting on Thursday December 9 and presented George with the framed proclamation of the announcement that Premier Salinger made in the Assembly – another copy will go to Larry. Proclamation (PDF)

 

 

December 8^th, the Winnipeg Grenadier cadets held the Battle of Hong Kong Parade at Bardal’s Funeral Home on Notre Dame.  The Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – His Honour Philip Lee; Commanding Officer RCSU, Regimental Sergeant Major RCSU, George Peterson – Manitoba HKVA President and Juliet Lafortune, MB Regional Director were present. In honour of the Canadians who served at the Battle of Hong Kong, wreaths were laid by the Lieutenant Governor; George Peterson and the Cadet Chief Warrant Officer - Kerry Mark. Following the brief ceremony the cadets were able to hear George speak of his experiences in battle and as a prisoner of war and to ask questions. More pictures

Current Region News - Quebec Region

March Edition: Quebec Region Newsletter - The Torch (PDF)

Current Region News - British Columbia - April 2009

This letter brings greetings to all of our regional Hong Kong Veterans, widows and HKVCA members. After what was an unusually cold and snowy winter on the west coast that seemed to last forever, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful spring weather we are now experiencing.

If you are an HK vet, widow, or HKVCA member in good standing, you should have received your Memorial Wall Dedication and 2009 Convention Kit package in the mail by now. If you haven’t, and are considering attending, please contact one of your regional executive officers. You will find a contact list a little further on in this letter.

The Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall will be unveiled on VJ Day, August 15, in our nation’s capital. This very important project has been progressing toward completion for two years. As the unveiling date approaches, we are excitedly awaiting the opportunity to pay tribute to our Hong Kong veterans in what will be an impressive ceremony. This Wall will serve as a lasting memorial to the 1975 Canadian men and women who were sent to assist the British in defending Hong Kong against the Japanese invasion in 1941.

The site is located in a prominent location in a park on the northwest corner of King Edward Street and Sussex Drive, just west of the Rideau River and approximately midway between the Parliament Buildings and the Prime Minister’s residence. We hope that many of our BC members will be able to attend.

The convention activities which surround the Dedication Ceremony are well planned and will be very memorable for those in attendance. Our thanks to the Convention Committee members in Ottawa who have been working diligently to organize the outstanding events to ensure you enjoy your stay at the HKVCA convention this August.

This letter includes details for our upcoming regional luncheons in June. The spring luncheons in Victoria and Vancouver have become an annual tradition and we hope you will be able to attend. Please contact Linda Stewart no later than June 7/09 if you will be attending the Victoria luncheon and Murray Doull no later than June 21/09 if you will be attending the Vancouver luncheon so that we can provide accurate numbers to the caterers.

At the Calgary convention in 2007, the National Board of Directors established three main goals which focused on the Memorial Wall, education and membership. We are well along our way to the construction stage of the Memorial Wall with a completion date prior to August 15.

Last summer, our Regional Director Linda Stewart spent countless hours creating an incredible permanent educational display outlining the history of ‘C’ Force for our region’s use. In the fall of 2008, Lee Naylor (son of the late Howard Naylor Sr., RCCS) agreed to assume the new role of Education Chair for the BC Region. Lee is planning to combine the extensive display that Linda created with further material he has been working on. Lee also plans to start attending schools and Legions in the Lower Mainland area with the displays to speak to students and Legion members about the history and sacrifices made by the Hong Kong veterans.

I am sorry to say that membership numbers are slowly declining. Thank you to our members who have kept their membership current. For those of you who are receiving this letter and have let your membership expire, we are hopeful you will renew. These are exciting times in the HKVCA as we move forward with our goals related to the lasting memory of our Hong Kong veterans and we are hopeful you will want to share these experiences with us. Please keep us informed if your address or phone number changes so that we can stay in touch.

Last spring we held Regional elections in BC. The position of Secretary-Treasurer was split and Bev Campbell was elected as our new Secretary. Bev is the daughter of Gerry and Ev Gerrard who live in Victoria. Bev has also become the Phone Pals Coordinator. Linda and I are very grateful that the BC executive has expanded with Bev and Lee taking on new roles. Their energy and dedication to the HKVCA is greatly appreciated.

Jim Trick is our National Secretary and lives in Victoria with his wife Anne. Jim also is the Webmaster of the HKVCA website and works very hard at keeping the site informative and updated. If you have a computer, I encourage you to visit the website at www.hkvca.ca where you will find a wealth of information and will want to keep returning for more. Jim would love to hear from you if you have anything to contribute for the site. You can reach Jim at webmaster@hkvca.ca.

For those of you who have experienced the recent loss of a family member, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Best wishes to those of you who are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions this spring and summer. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to those recovering from an illness.

We hope to see many of our BC members at the spring luncheons and the Memorial Wall unveiling in Ottawa. Until then, please take care of each other and please feel free to contact a member of the regional executive if you are aware of an HK vet or widow that needs assistance.

Warm regards,

Murray Doull,

Treasurer/Membership Chair, BC Region

The Phone Pals Program began in February 2009 and we are happy to say that we are in touch with 7 veterans and 19 widows of veterans. The program’s focus is to try to stay in touch with as many of our senior members as we can and get to know them a little better.

We are amazed at how active most are and do find it difficult at times to find them at home! This is a good thing!

Many members are in their 90’s and going strong - Betty Marsh loves her Scottish dancing and Aubrey Flegg had just arrived home from the Legion, despite the snow, and we had a good chat.

It was nice talking to Constance Martin in Monterey, California until I heard she was enjoying beautiful 80 degree weather in Feb. and it was snowing here! Just kidding! She very kindly said to visit anytime I am down that way. Sounds good to me.

Pearl MacPherson was the first to return her reply for the program! She is a very busy lady and gives her time to helping out at the Seniors’ Centre as well as spending lots of time with her granddaughter.

Harry Gyselman lives in a Senior’s Home in Comox with his little dog. Sounds like his dog is very spoilt and enjoyed by all who live there.

I would like to thank Sandy Brain for her help with the phoning as I know her life is also very busy.

Also, if anyone would like to help with a few calls, I would appreciate hearing from you. My number is 604-467-1287 or e-mail eric_campbell@telus.net.

Warm regards,

Bev Campbell, Secretary/Phone Pals Coordinator, BC Region

Aubrey Flegg (WG) who lives in Kelowna

Gerry Gerrard (RCCS) who lives in Victoria

Linda Stewart

Address: 206-1121 Esquimalt Road

Victoria BC V9A 3N6

Phone: 250-294-2417

Email: lindaontheisland@shaw.ca

Bev Campbell

Address: 11677 Fraserview Street

Maple Ridge BC V2X 8B5

Phone: 604-467-1287

Email: eric_campbell@telus.net

Lee Naylor

Address: 64203 Tom Berry Road

Hope BC V0X 1L2

Phone: 604-689-3485

Email: leenylr@yahoo.ca

Murray Doull

Address: 20368 Kent Street

Maple Ridge BC V2X 1A6

Phone: 604-465-0579

Email: mdoull@shaw.ca

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas.

We are pleased to supply you with details for the upcoming luncheons in Victoria and Vancouver. These luncheons are for all Hong Kong veterans, widows of HK vets, and HKVCA members in British Columbia. If you know any out of province HK vets, widows, or members that may be able to attend, please advise us. We would love to have them. These events will provide an excellent opportunity to meet both new and old friends. We sincerely hope that you will be able to attend the luncheon that is closest to you. These luncheons have become an annual tradition in BC, and the company is always excellent!

Date: Saturday, June 13, 2009.

Location: Traveller’s Inn (old Imperial Inn), 1961 Douglas St., Victoria (entrance is off

Discovery)

Time: Meet at 12:00PM to 12:30PM. Luncheon will be at 1:00PM

Hotel Reservations: Phone toll free: 1-888-877-9444

Local phone#: (250) 953-1000

Contact: Please contact Linda Stewart no later than June7, 2009 if you plan on attending the Victoria luncheon. It is important that we have accurate numbers for the caterer. You can phone Linda at (250) 294-6747, or you can e-mail Linda at lindaontheisland@shaw.ca

Date: Saturday, June 27, 2009

Location: Ramada Hotel and Suites Metrotown, 3484 Kingsway, Vancouver

Time: Anytime after 11:30AM in the Collingwood Room. Lunch will be at 1:00PM

Hotel Reservations: To receive the special room rate please contact Esther from Tuesday to Saturday between the hours of 7:00AM and 3:00PM. You can reach Esther by phoning toll free at 1-888-228-2111 or locally at 604-433-8255. Please mention to Esther that you are attending the Hong Kong Veterans’ luncheon on June 27.

Contact: Please contact Murray Doull no later than June 21, 2009 if you plan on attending the Vancouver luncheon. It is important that we have accurate numbers for the caterer. You can phone Murray at 604-465-0579, or you can e-mail Murray at mdoull@shaw.ca

The costs for these luncheons will be covered by the BC Region of the HKVCA. Any donation that you can offer to assist us with expenditures would be greatly appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you. These are important events for the Hong Kong Family in our Region. Please help us to make them a success.

MB Region: HKVA Annual Reunion Dinner

VJ Day in Manitoba

by Carol Hadley

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Manitoba Region annually observes VJ Day at All Saints Church in Winnipeg with a service using the Protocol in honouring our veterans.  All members were invited as well as concordant bodies such as the Royal Canadian Legion branches, Korean Vets, Peace Keepers, etc.

The service began with George Peterson, President of Manitoba Branch of the HKVA bringing in the Colours with the Colour Party (Alex Taylor, Stan and Vince Lopata).  There were about 50 people welcomed by George and Carol Hadley, Secretary (as Juliet Lafortune, Regional Director was out of town).  Introductions of the 5 HK veterans that were present was made; they were George Peterson, Larry Stebbe, Bill Bell, Bob Lytle and Grant Shepherd and the Manitoba Region executive; Stan & Vince Lopata, Deputy Directors, Barry Mitchell, Treasurer and Carol Hadley, Secretary. 

A couple of our projects were highlighted mainly the Memorial Wall in Ottawa (with the artists rendering on view) with an update to progress and the new tabletop display that the Education Committee uses was available for all to see. 

The Protocol service was lead by Carol with the assistance of Larry Stebbe, Pam Heinrichs and Vince Lopata with his computer coordinating the music.  Barry Mitchell and Carol supplied the items for the table.  Carol read the Honour Roll with the names of those who died from August 2007 – August 2008.

Following the service we enjoyed refreshments that were prepared by Juliet and served by Bonnie Wiebe and Linda Sloan.  Vince Lopata did a very comprehensive powerpoint presentation on the Battle of Hong Kong as to the movement of the units over the 17 days of fighting.

We are pleased to have pictures of the day provided by Dennis Bell.

Report from BC

by Murray Doull

A SALUTE TO OUR VETERANS

August 4, 2008 was BC Day and marked the 150^th birthday of the province of British Columbia.  Celebratory events took place in many cities from the Pacific Ocean to the Alberta border.

The BC Region of the HKVCA participated in what will be the largest tribute to our veterans this year in British Columbia.  The event took place under sunny skies with temperatures well over 30 degrees Celsius at the Burnaby Village Museum and was called, “BC Day Salute to our Veterans.”  There were thousands of people in attendance.

The event paid tribute to three significant historical anniversaries: the 55^th anniversary of the Korean War Cease Fire, the 90^th anniversary of the First World War Armistice and the 150^th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia.  All three anniversaries were represented on the Museum’s site through static and mobile displays, official ceremonies, historical interpretation and military band performances.  This Tribute to our Veterans’ event took place 11 days before the 63^rd anniversary of VJ Day and was well attended by two HK vets and their families and many HKVCA members.

The event had three main goals: to educate, inform and entertain.  Participant groups were supplied with display areas which allowed them to create a greater awareness as to the role and goals of their associations.  Collectors of military vehicles displayed their restored vehicles and three military bands performed on stage throughout the day.

The event also included an off site component: a commemorative celebration at the Korean War Veterans Monument which was unveiled last year in Burnaby’s Central Park.  Veterans and Officials were transported to and from that venue from the Museum site in period military vehicles to attend a Service of Remembrance.  One of our HK vets, Gerry Gerrard, attended the Memorial Service with his wife EV and his daughter and son in law, Bev and Eric Campbell.  Gerry and Ev travelled to the Lower Mainland from Victoria a day earlier and were staying with Bev and Eric at their home in Maple Ridge.

While Gerry and his family were attending the Memorial Service, Linda Stewart (BC Regional Director), Lee Naylor (HKVCA) and Lucy and Murray Doull (HKVCA) started setting up the BC Region display in the Carousel Building.  Linda had arrived a day early from Victoria and Lee and his family also arrived a day early from their home in Princeton.  Fortunately for Lucy and me the Museum is only a 40 minute drive from our home in Maple Ridge.

Linda had been working tirelessly for two months creating an incredible permanent ‘C’ Force educational display for our Region.  Due to Linda’s efforts and hard work there is no doubt in my mind that our HKVCA display honouring the Hong Kong veterans stood out among all the displays that were present.  Lee contributed with a display he made which focused on the hat badges and arm bands from the RRC, WG, and Brigade Headquarters.  Lee also brought some memorabilia.  We also had memorabilia from Gerry Gerrard and my father, Bill Doull.  For hand outs we had HKVCA informational brochures, Memorial Wall brochures and Sgt. Gander bookmarks for the children.  We had books for sale as well as an audio and visual display.  Our rather large display was very well attended throughout the day.  The picture below shows part of the display with Lee on the left, Linda in the middle and Murray on the right.

Once we had set up our display in the Carousel Building, we realized that there was a more prominent display area available outside near the bandstand, the Korean Veterans display, the VAC display and the military vehicle display.  Although we wouldn’t have the luxury of air conditioning at the new location we unanimously decided that we had enough time to move to the prominent outside location and set up once again before the public attended at 11:00AM. 

Linda and I would like to thank everyone that helped us to relocate our display.  It was quite a bit of work but the effort was well worthwhile.  We were all set up and ready for the public when the Museum site opened.  Just before we moved to the new location, another HK vet, John Lowe, arrived with his wife Florence and their daughter Diane and Diane’s children.  They arrived in the Carousel Building just before we re-located and posed for a photograph before we started tearing down.

The picture below was taken after we had set up the display at our new location.

Here is a photograph of John Lowe sitting at the display flanked by two Korean War veterans, Bob Stewart on the right and Vic Mumford on the left.

The following photograph is Linda Stewart in front of one of the display panels she made, pointing to a pre war photograph of her father, Cliff Carpenter, WG.

From 11:00 to 11:30 pipe bands paraded through the village.  At 11:45 was the Parade of the Veterans led by the pipes and drums of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, the 78^th Fraser Highlanders and the Vancouver Naval Veterans Association Colour Party.  Gerry and John assembled with the veterans prior to the Parade.  Gerry was carrying the Hong Kong Veterans flag and was very honoured when the Colour Party asked him to join them with the HK Colours.  The parade formed and was led in by the RCMP, the pipes and drums, the Colour Party and the veterans.  It was a very moving parade and hundreds of participants were clapping and honouring the veterans as they passed.  The following pictures show Gerry carrying the Hong Kong veterans flag in the Colour Party and John marching with his fellow veterans.

We were grateful that Noreen Cambon brought her mother Eileen Cambon to our display area.  Eileen is the widow of Dr. Ken Cambon, RRC.  Thank you also to Bev and Diane for bringing Gerry and Ev and John and Florence to the events.  The temperature was very hot by the time the Parade of the Veterans took place and our two HK vets stood tall and didn’t bat an eyelash. 

Guy Black coordinated and directed this wonderful Tribute to our Veterans.  What follows is an excerpt from the letter that Linda wrote to Guy following the event:

“BC Day at the Burnaby Village Museum was a fabulous success due largely to your devotion and hard work. 

On behalf of our veterans and the commemorative members, I thank you for all that you did to put on the event.  We very much appreciate how you go out of your way to honour and show respect for the veterans and make them feel special as, of course, they should feel.

Thank you for accommodating our last minute change of location.  We sure appreciated your help with that as well.  It was really wonderful how you took time to help us with that when you were so busy.”

Thank you also to all the HKVCA members from the BC Region who participated and helped us in the display area.  I don’t want to mention any names for fear that I might miss someone.  Your presence and support was greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Murray Doull

HKVCA Treasurer/Membership Chair, BC Region

Other news:
ON Region Newsletter - Jan '08 (PDF)

Atlantic Region Reunion

***Note: the dates below may be in error! Correct dates probably are Sept 5, 6, 7.***

From Neil Darrah

Reunion will be in Florenceville N.B. on Sept 4,5,6. Regesteration Fri 2-4, social evening Fri 7-12 music by Wild Wood. Memorial service on Sat at 11 am. AGM at 2 PM on Sat afternoon, banquet at 5 P.M.. on Sat. Social evening Sat night. Good buys on Sun morning. All threes events will be held at the Florenceville Legion.

Tks Neil

BC News - March, 2008

This letter brings best wishes and news from our Association to all of our BC Region Hong Kong veterans and their families, widows of HK vets, and HKVCA members.

We have some very good news to pass along regarding the Hong Kong Veterans’ Memorial Wall. After a lengthy process, our project has been approved by the National Capital Commission in Ottawa. The Memorial Wall Committee has been meeting on a regular basis for over 7 months and now that approval has been granted, we are prepared to move forward. We have been offered several prominent sites in Ottawa to choose from and the Committee will select the one that is best suited for the Memorial after considering all pertinent factors.

We will be working closely with the NCC every step of the way. Although the NCC will assist with the site preparation, the HKVCA will be responsible for design and the cost of materials and construction. We set a goal to raise $100,000.00 at the Calgary convention to cover these costs. Due to the generosity of so many of you, we are well on our way to meet our goal but we are not there yet. Please consider this project very important when reviewing your gifts for charity. Charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations over $20.00. This project is currently the number one priority for our Association and we are anxious to see it completed. Please make your cheques payable to the HKVCA and note “Memorial Wall” on the bottom. Please visit our website at www.hkvca.ca for updates as the Memorial Wall moves forward towards completion. There will be more information to follow in the March edition of the National newsletter which you will be receiving soon.

It has been decided that four National newsletters (instead of two) will be issued per year starting in March, 2008. The Wasureru –Nai will now be distributed in March, June, September and December in order to provide more news from National and each Region. For those of you who have computers and an internet connection, we would appreciate your assistance to help us save postage costs by agreeing to receive your newsletters and other communications electronically. All you have to do is send an e-mail to Murray Doull at mdoull@shaw.ca indicating your approval and I will put your name on the electronic mailing list. You will be helping us to cut costs while being environmentally friendly at the same time.

For those of you that have an internet connection, I would encourage you to visit our website on a regular basis. Jim Trick, a BC member and our National Secretary, is also our Web Master. Jim does an excellent job keeping the website informative and updated. The website is a key component of our Association and once you have visited it you will be drawn back again and again because there is so much to see and learn. The site has proven to be a valuable educational tool. Please encourage your family and friends to visit www.hkvca.ca and learn more about our Hong Kong veterans and the HKVCA. You may discover that you have related material at home which would be a welcome addition to the site. If you do, Jim would be glad to hear from you and he can be contacted at hkvca@shaw.ca

The Hong Kong veterans and their widows will find their membership card and HKVCA decal for 2008 enclosed. The HK vets and widows are lifetime members of our Association and are not required to pay dues. Regular memberships are due for renewal on January 1 of each year and they still only cost $15.00 annually. $10.00 of that amount is forwarded to National and $5.00 stays in the Region. While the by-law states that “members in arrears by one month cease to be members in good standing”, for reporting purposes those who remain in arrears as of December 1 of the year (11 months in arrears) will be removed from the membership list. Although there are some of you that are receiving this letter, you will not be receiving further National newsletters or Regional communications unless you renew because you did not pay your dues for 2007. Perhaps you forgot or were too busy, but I urge you to renew while it is fresh in your mind . Thank you to those of you who have already renewed and to those that have sent donations to both the Memorial Wall Project and the BC Region.

For those of you that were current in 2007 and have not already done so, please submit your 2008 dues to me at your earliest convenience. I encourage you to consider paying your dues 2 years at a time if possible. It is important for us to keep our membership strong in order to fulfill our mandate. Please encourage family members and friends to become new members. Currently the first priority of the HKVCA is the Memorial Wall, the second is promoting educationally the story of ‘C’ Force, and the third is to increase membership. It is also important to keep us informed of your new address and phone number if you have moved in order for us to stay in touch with you. Thank you for assisting us to achieve our goals.

The BC Region will be holding elections for officers this year. The positions that will be available are; Regional Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. Currently the Secretary and Treasurer are combined into one position. It has been proven in this Region that the position of Membership Chair is best filled by the Treasurer who receives the dues, makes the deposits and transfers to National, and sends out the new membership cards and decals as dues are received. The election process will start once a committee has been formed consisting of a Collector, Scrutineer and two Counters. An appeal for nominations outlining the process will then be mailed out to Regional members in good standing. Once people have been nominated and accepted, the membership will then receive a short bio for each nominee accompanied by a ballot which will have to be returned to the Collector within specified time limits. It is important to note that anyone wishing to run for office or vote in this Regional election must have a current membership. We encourage members to step forward and run for office.

We are also seeking volunteers to form two separate committees which we feel will be very effective to help us move forward in this Region. The purpose of the first committee, the “Phone Pals” will be to maintain regular contact, either by phone or in person, with the HK vets and their widows that live in BC to ensure their well being. We have some HK vets and widows in care facilities that might enjoy visits. Members who live in their communities could be contacted by the committee to see if they would be willing to help out by visiting with the vets and widows in these facilities. Home visits could be arranged for HK vets and widows that are interested. We are hopeful that a committee of 3 or 4 members, including a chairperson, will be established as soon as possible. Linda and I will be available as much as needed to help the committee get started and evolve by supplying information and assisting in whatever way we can. Our contact information is at the end of this letter and we look forward to hearing from you in order to get this committee up and running expeditiously.

Secondly, we would like to form an education committee with 3 or 4 members including a chairperson. We are very fortunate in this region to have Graeme Stacey as a long time member. Graeme grew up in Victoria and is currently a high school history teacher in Westbank. Graeme learned about the Hong Kong veterans when he was in university and was fascinated by their story. He interviewed several HK vets in the late 1990’s (Lionel Speller, Don MacPherson, Larry Stebbe, Flash Clayton to name a few) and wrote his Masters degree based on the history of ‘C’ Force. Graeme has worked hard over the years to successfully have the HK story included in the grade 11 social studies curriculum throughout our province.

The purpose of the education committee will be to look at new ways to ensure the story of ‘C’ Force is presented to British Columbians. This could be accomplished by timely press releases prior to Remembrance Day and Christmas. Another way would be to speak in schools and to other organizations about the Hong Kong veterans. One of the roles of the new Secretary will be to chair this important committee and help it move forward. Again, Linda and I will assist in any way we can to provide input and guidance, especially in the initial stages.

Enclosed you will find a page (mailed copies only) containing all the particulars about the upcoming HKVCA luncheons in Victoria and Vancouver in June. We hope that you and your family members will be able to attend one or both of them. Over the years the luncheons have proven to be a time when those of us that don’t see each other as often as we would like can get together and renew old friendships and make new ones. Veterans Affairs Canada will be represented at both luncheons as well as special guests. Please mark the dates on your calendar and follow the contact information to RSVP beforehand. Information is also available on our Online Calendar.

The BC Region of the HKVCA will be participating in a BC Day event which will salute our veterans. This year’s event will be held at the Burnaby Village Museum on August 4 and will showcase Canada’s proud military heritage and say “thank you” to our veterans on the 150th birthday of our province. This celebration is a free family focused event which will be held on the 10 acre museum site. Linda and I will be setting up a ‘C’ Force display and talking to those in attendance about the role Canadians played in Hong Kong and their subsequent internment as prisoners of war. Please mark this date on your calendar and we hope to see you there. Linda will be providing more details in the June edition of the Wasureru-Nai.

Our hearts and prayers go out to those of you who have recently lost family members and loved ones. To those of you who have been ill, we hope that you will recover soon. Please do not hesitate to contact Linda Stewart our Regional Director, or myself, if you know of a Hong Kong veteran or widow who is need of assistance. We will do what we can to help. Linda can be reached by phone at 250-294-6747 or by e-mail at lindaontheisland@shaw.ca My phone number is 604-465-0579 and my e-mail address is mdoull@shaw.ca If you are sending in your membership dues or donations, please mail a cheque made out to the HKVCA c/o Murray Doull, 20368 Kent Street, Maple Ridge BC V2X 1A6. I look forward to the postman keeping me busy. Linda and I also look forward to hearing from volunteers so we can get the BC Region committees outlined in this letter up and running as soon as possible.

I have never heard an HK vet say goodbye to a comrade. Rather, they say “See you again” or “Until next time”. Keeping that in mind, we wish you well until we meet again.

Warm regards, Murray Doull HKVCA Secretary-Treasurer, BC Region