The 26-member Third Battalion Guard of Honour from the PPCLI Edmonton Garrison under the command of Captain Choi will provide some flourish, and Brigadier General Ray Romses OMM, CD from Lethbridge, Alta., Col. Commandant of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets and a career officer in the Canadian military who has seen active duty in numerous European theatres of combat, will address the gathering at the Soldier’s Tree dedication ceremony on Sept. 10.
A duo of vintage Second World War aircraft, a Harvard trainer and a Spitfire, the fighter plane preferred by many Commonwealth pilots in that war, will do a flyby piloted by the Texas Flying Legends team who, it was discovered, has a member whose father came from England and taught at the Commonwealth Air Training Centre in Estevan in the 1940s.
A military parade that will include the Estevan Elks PPCLI Army Cadets and their pipe and drum band members as well as the Wylie-Mitchell No. 30 Air Cadet Squadron, the Estevan Legion Colour Party and some active military personnel and Legion members plus a couple of Second World War Bren gun carriers (two-track mobile units) will march down Fourth Street to the Soldiers’ Tree Memorial at the courthouse at 11 a.m.
The ceremony under the guidance of Captain Ken Turner (retired) who will serve as emcee, is scheduled for 11:15, said Captain Robert Rooks (retired) who is the spokesman for the newly minted Soliders’ Tree Memorial committee.
The man who did the creative work with a chain saw, Darren Jones, will also be in attendance. The 100-year-old cottonwood tree which was transformed into the memorial will be the centre of attention though.
One of the seven plates, that will surround the memorial once the project is completed will be in place, with the “Lest We Forget” message inscribed.
According to Rooks, the time is right to dedicate the memorial that has been in place on the lawn at the Estevan courthouse since early August. Situated just behind the cenotaph, it has been attracting a lot of attention from passers-by for the past month, he said, and it is only fitting to now dedicate it, and provide the message that the memorial tree is there to depict (see related story).
The Estevan Flying Club, which provided funds to cover costs associated with the Texas Legends flypast and a followup static display at the Estevan Regional Airport that same day, have arranged to have two more Second World War training aircraft at the airport later that day and rides will be offered in these vintage planes, for a fee to help cover costs.. The Cornell and Harvard aircraft from Brandon will be flying out of the local airport that afternoon.
Following the dedication ceremonies, a public barbecue will be staged in the vicinity of the courthouse, courtesy of Southern Plains Co-op with donations from that event being directed toward the Soldiers’ Tree committee to cover costs of future maintenance and repairs that will be necessary.
“It should be a great day,” said Rooks.
It will be a day of remembrance, celebration and accomplishment.
