HQ DISPATCH #8 - MARCH 2020 |
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Dear all, Thank you for your kind words and support during this difficult time. Over the past year, I’ve felt a special kinship within our IOFF community.
It’s as though we share the same DNA. Like we’re long, lost relatives. The emails you’ve sent me during this current challenge have solidified this feeling. We’re a team and, together, we’re stronger. Karen Hunter, on behalf of The IOFF Team |
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It's in our genes Here are some excerpts from recent emails I’ve received. See if you can you hear your (grand)father in these words? Or, at least, in the attitude? I can. “One thing I know for sure … we descendants of WW2 veterans are a tough lot — it’s in our genes! Chin up!!” “As my Dad would have said, ‘time to rally the troops’ which usually meant “Stay in the kitchen til all the dishes are done!” or “Head into the bush and help cut the fall supply of camp firewood!” I encourage you to take some time and reflect on the many parallels between this current crisis and what our fathers faced in WWII. In a strange way, this pandemic provides an experiential remembrance opportunity, an unexpected addition to our IOFF journey. |
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IOFF’s Mount Everest After I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, many people asked, “What’s next? Everest?” But Everest wasn’t in the cards. I had other “mountains” to climb, like The Camino. Peter took me back to this moment in time when he sent me this special, heartfelt email. "Looking back over the past year, you have organized a trip to Mount Everest with IOFF. You gathered a totally new family around you. You trained them, educated them, inspired them. But we got hit with an avalanche in the last camp, just before the final climb. And you know from experience, you have to go back to Base Camp, regroup, and perhaps take another path. So, take a deep breath, guide the group to Base Camp, and prepare for the next phase. The Dutch Sherpas are already standing by!" Departure for IOFF 2021 is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, April 28th, 2021,
with returns on Thursday, May 6th and Monday, May 10th, 2021.
We’ll be in touch with you as soon as we know more. |
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Self-isolating made easy! Here are some ideas for your time indoors: |
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Read a book “The Wyoming Kid: A Fictional History of the 149th CEF Lambton’s Own” is written by Allan Miller, an IOFF participant from Belleville, ON. Once a soldier himself, Allan’s book is inspired by his great uncle’s experience. From Amazon: “The Lambton’s Own, like many Canadian battalions of the mid-years of the Great War, are broken up and dispersed to infantry, artillery, engineer, railway troops, and service units. They soon find they are simply a draft of men who will be used to fill in for casualties.” |
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Note: The Kindle edition costs just $3.91 and all sales profits go to the
Lambton County Archives. “Ever heard of Maud Allan, the Canadian diva?” Allan asks “Well, she’s in it.” (Note from Karen: Check her out! Scandalous!) |
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Solve a mystery! The village of Almen was liberated on April 2, 1945. During those heady liberation days, a special banner belonging to “Juliana,” (the Almense Music Association/Orchestra) disappeared. It’s believed the banner may have been taken by a Canadian soldier
as a souvenir. Now, 75 years later, the Almense musicians hope to have it returned. Here’s a clue. The 3rd Division’s 7th and 8th brigades were there at the time. They include: The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, The Regina Rifles, The Canadian Scottish Regiment, The Queen’s Own Rifles, Le Regiment de la Chaudière, and The North Shore New Brunswick Regiment. |
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Got a hot lead about the banner? Share it here... | |
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Research a Soldier Buried at Groesbeek Many of you who participated in IOFF’s Soldier Challenge found you were limited by time constraints. Well, now’s your chance. And, there are many names available. IOFF participant, Elaina Gaetan of Halifax, NS contacted her soldier’s niece, did some research at her local community historical society, and submitted the following. |
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Ralph Douglas Faulkner
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1922,
Ralph was one of three sons and four daughters born to John Henry and Gertrude Maude Faulkner. The Faulkner family lived in the quiet working-class neighborhood of Fairview, where Ralph enjoyed camping with his siblings in the great Canadian outdoors, as well as playing hockey, golf, and softball. Ralph also had a talent for drawing humorous illustrations and enjoyed making people laugh with his sketches of everyday life with family and friends. |
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Ralph volunteered to join the war effort, and was a Guardsman with the Canadian Grenadier Guards, 22nd Armoured Regiment. During his time overseas, he eased his family's worries for his safety by including funny cartoons in his letters depicting the lighter side of army life. Ralph loved to sing and taught himself to play the guitar. He was also a prankster, once tying a fellow soldier's feet together so he would fall out of bed when the bugle sounded. His letters home said he was looking forward to Christmas Eve, and that he was not going out with anyone special - rather he was going out with everyone. He also said that the Dutch people were very kind to him and fed him well.
Ralph always signed his letters home affectionately with,
"Until I hear from you", or "Your kid brother, Ralph".
Guardsman Ralph Faulkner died during the Rhineland Campaign,
on February 26, 1945, at the age of 23.
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Veteran Affairs and IOFF are discussing ways to commemorate the May 2020 75th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands—in Canada—through social media and otherwise (respecting social distancing). I welcome your ideas. Let me close with a message I received from IOFF participant, Penny Doherty,
from Halifax, NS. “To all, I send wishes for peace, good health and gratitude for our ancestors who lived and died to make the world a better place.” |
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Note: HQ-Dispatch will suspend publication until further notice. As soon as I have details to share regarding IOFF 2021, you’ll be the first to know! |
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