To Martensville City Hall, and all involved, I want to say a big thank-you for the beautiful Veterans Square Memorial you placed on the strategic corner of Main Street and Centennial Drive in Martensville.
Your beautification of bushes and trees certainly adds to it.
To me it is not something to rush by without noticing.
I pause, I reflect, I think.
I’m a Veteran’s daughter.
My Dad, Howard Raymond Nelson, was a medic in World War Two. Though I don’t know all the details, I’m very well aware of his sacrifice, as well as that of countless others.
He enlisted for the war in Japan after his duties in Europe but thankfully didn’t have to go.
Upon returning, he married my Mother, with whom he corresponded during his training in Canada and service in many European countries.
He put the war behind him as much as he could and started his new life, raising five children with Mom.
He suffered greatly with arthritis in his back and knees, being in hospital many times in Europe.
The cold, damp conditions and rigorous workload likely were the cause.
When I was little he had extensive back surgery in Montreal. He was in hospital basically all winter. He was on Veteran’s disability pension till his passing at 95 years.
In our growing-up years it was very little. He worked as he was able but wasn’t able to do heavy work for the young man that he was.
My parents were resourceful. We had a wonderful life with the blessings that matter most. They never complained.
Dad didn’t take the responsibility of our freedom lightly and neither can we.
To say I’m grateful is an understatement.
I’ve been wanting to publicly thank you for the memorial for some time.
What better time than now?
To all and their families who have served and given of their lives, thank you.
My words seem trite but they are deeply heartfelt.