The unveiling of Memorial Walls at the Remembrance Day service on November 11, 1978, completed the move of the cenotaph to its new location beside the Royal Canadian Legion Hall.
On June 25, 1978, a rededication ceremony had been held following the relocation of the cenotaph from between the old Town Hall and St. John's Anglican Church on Pine Street. Jack Boucher was the general contractor for the project.
The unveiling ceremony was conducted by Henry Therriault, World War II veteran, and president of Branch 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion. The prayer of dedication was given by Rev. William Ivey, rector of St. John's Anglican Church following the unveilings.
The unveiling of the World War I wall was done by Frank Cranston, Chapleau's last surviving veteran of World War I, and air cadet Bonnie Goheen.
In June at the official opening of the Chapleau Civic Centre, Mr. Cranston, who had also served in World War II, met and chatted with Ontario Lt. Gov. Pauline McGibbon who officially opened the civic centre.
Later the upstairs hall at the Legion was named after Mr. Cranston.
The unveiling of the World War II wall was done by Muriel (Hunt) Morris, (my mother) and Eric Groulx.
Bernie Morris played the Last Post and Reveille, and the Act of Remembrance was read by Mr. Therriault.
The Chapleau Sentinel reported that a "unique addition" to the service was the singing of an anthem, "I Wonder Why". It was sung by Mary Beacock, Beth Dunne, Gwen Travis and Charlie Law, accompanied by Russell Dunne on the guitar.
In our book 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War' Michael McMullen and I identified 32 Chapleau boys who died in World War I or died soon thereafter , due to their war related wounds/ health conditions.
They were: Harry Barber, William Bertrand, Joseph Bolduc, Peter Chappise, John Collings, Willard Daniels, Ambrose Evans, Percy Hall, William Hartley, Walter Haskins, James Hewitt, Albert Jeffries, Harry Kitchen, John Kuskitchu, Jacob McWatch, Simon McWatch, John Moir, Peter Moran, Alex Mortson, Loftus Muske, Lorne Nicholson, Frank Pitts, Roderick Potts, Jacob Redbreast, Alfred Therriault, Edgar Turner, John Turner, William Turner, Harry Unwin, William Unwin, Walter Valentine and Hans Wrangham.
In World War II we identified 29 Chapleau boys who died either killed in action or died due to war-related causes. They were: Jack Bilbe, Leonard Brough, Harold Chandler, Richard Chappise, Raymond Cochrane, Wesley Cummings, Angus Dawson, Hugh Delaney, Robert Edwards, Kenneth Green, Alton Henderson, Samuel Jeffries, Ray Montgomery, James Morris, Harold Murphy, Frank Mutcheguis, Donald Robinson, Jack Rose, Benoit Rioux, Henri Rioux, Ernest Serre, Kenneth Slievert, Mansell Slievert, Victor Sommers, George Swanson, Henry Swanson, James Taggart, James Thomson and Burnham Thorp.
Ernest 'Sonny' Bignucolo was killed while on active service in the Canadian Forces during the Korean War while Nelson Edwards was killed while serving with Canadian forces in NATO as part of a United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East.
Lest we forget! My email is mj.morris@live.ca
