Irma honours WWII veteran on Remembrance Day

The Village of Irma had a very special guest speaker at their Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremony. Gage Pendleton, who turned 93 this year, and is the last living veteran in Irma and area, told his story to a large crowd at the Irma School.

Though there were many elements to the ceremony, including: members of the Canadian Armed Forces from the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright marching in, a performance of military inspired songs by the Irma School band (including the Last Post), a prayer by Reverend Scott Reynolds, and a Voice of Remembrance, it was Pendleton’s speech that was the focus of the day.

Sergent at Arms, and coordinator of the ceremony Wayne Bennett, who lives in Irma but is part of the Wainwright Legion, having served 12 years in the Army, said he wanted to make the day about Pendleton because of the perspective it might give people.

“I wanted our community to feel the life of a soldier,” Bennett said, “my goal was to make the uniform stand out.”… For more see the Nov 15/16 Weekly Review