'Pleased to be recognized as a veteran': New banners honour Minnedosa's military vets

Fifty banners honouring local veterans will soon hang on the street light polesin Minnedosa, Man.

The banners were unveiled in front of a crowd of more than 200at a ceremony on Wednesday afternoon in the town, located about 200 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

Each features the name and photo of a local veteran, as well as the dates they served and which conflict they fought in.

"I hope [community members] have a sincere sense of pride pride in the way we are honouring our veterans," said Duane LaCoste, president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 138 in Minnedosa.

He also hopes the banners will generate interest "both with the general public and also with our schools."

LaCoste said local legion members decided to pursue the projectabout a year ago, when they saw a magazine article about another town that had taken a similar initiative.

'An honour'

Five veterans including three Second World War vets, a Korean War veteran and a current member of the Armed Forces who did three tours in Afghanistan were on hand to unveil their own banners on Wednesday.

Thomas James Clark also known as Jim joined the Canadian Armed Forcesin 1950, when he was just 18 years old, and served for four years.

"I'm pleased to be recognized as a veteran and I think that isan honour," he said. "It'll be great."

Clark's enlistment included a tour overseas to fight in the Korean War, which saw more than 26,000 Canadians serve between land, sea and air units.

Five hundred and sixteen Canadians losttheir lives in that conflict, according to Veterans Affairs Canada.

"At my age it was scary," Clark recalled. "It was quite frightening to arrive there and the guns going off they were going off during the evening, when you were trying to sleep."

He hopes the banners inspire people to take time to learn about the people who served theircountry and the battles they fought in.

Banners tell a story

Each banner was sponsored by family and friends of the veterans, according to LaCoste, and there's already been interest in ordering more.

Some of the banners feature more than one person, with each side of the banner highlighting a different veteran.

"We havehusband and a wife teams that are up," he said. "We have fathers and sons, brothers and friends.

"They are just so, so very young looking."

He also hopes the banners will draw visitors to the town and its legion branch, wherean album and book will be on display to help peoplelearn more about each featured veteran's story.

"We're going to continue it on as long as well can, as long as there's interest," said LaCoste. "And I think that will, and should, happen forever."

LaCoste said the banners will be installed next weekalong Minnedosa's Main Street,as well as along some side streets.

He expects they will stay up until after Remembrance Day in November, when they will be taken down for the winter.