Students place poppies for war dead

About 750 students from four Brandon schools placed poppies next to headstones on Thursday as they paid their respects to soldiers who died while serving in war.

Brandon’s 12th annual No Stone Left Alone ceremony took place on a cold morning with dozens of CFB Shilo soldiers and dignitaries present to remember those who served.

The students, bundled in warm winter coats and mittens, came from École Harrison, St. Augustine School, Riverheights School and the Western Canada Hockey Academy.

As part of the ceremony, students made sure every military headstone in the Brandon Municipal Cemetery received a bright red poppy.

“It’s a simple gesture, but one that carries deep meaning,” Chief Warrant Officer Eric LeClair told the hundreds of people in attendance.

“Each poppy reminds us that behind every name carved in the stone lies a life once lived, a story of courage, dedication and sacrifice that has helped shape the freedoms we are so fortunate of today.”

LeClair, who serves at CFB Shilo, said the dedication of the fallen soldiers is an inspiration that “reminds us all of the ultimate sacrifice, the selfless courage of those who gave everything so that we could live in peace and freedom.”

Seeing so many children, he said, made the event all the more meaningful, since it helps keep the memories alive for veterans.

“Their courage and sacrifice has lived on, not only in these headstones, but in the peace and opportunity we enjoy as Canadians,” LeClair said.

“Let’s take a quiet moment with each poppy we place, think about the person it represents, someone who stood for their country, who believed in something greater than themselves, and who helped ensure a better future for all of us.”

No Stone Left Alone co-ordinator Ryan Lawson said while Thursday’s event wasn’t as big as ones in the city a few years ago that involved nearly 1,000 students, it was still great to see all the young faces.

“It’s always so heartwarming to see all you students out here on these grounds paying your respects to the men and women that served for our country,” Lawson said.

Lawson told the story of Master Cpl. Timothy James Wilson, who was laid to rest in the Brandon cemetery after being killed while serving overseas in Afghanistan in 2006.

Wilson, who also served in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a recent example of the sacrifice made by military members, Lawson said.

“His headstone stands as a reminder, not only of a life lost too soon, but of a life lived with purpose,” Lawson said. “When you walk past his name, I encourage you to pause and think about what his sacrifice means, and what all of these sacrifices meant: freedom, peace, opportunity.”

Brandon East MLA Glen Simard said placing the poppies beside the white headstones matters.

“It matters because you’re showing everyone around you that you’re remembering the people who sacrificed, who did the work of protecting what you get,” Simard, a former teacher at École Harrison, told students.

“We’re really lucky in Canada. We’re very lucky in Manitoba, to have a tuque, to have nice boots, to play hockey, to travel on a bus, to go far away on trips, to have neighbours that help each other, to have food in our bellies — and all of those things happen because somebody sacrificed,” he said.

Students from the schools, who included cadets in uniform, read poems, sang “In Flanders Fields,” presented wreaths and ran to place poppies when the ceremony ended.

Dignitaries from all levels of government, Brandon School Division, the Royal Canadian Legion and other organizations also presented a dozen wreaths at the base of the Brandon War Memorial cenotaph.

» alambert@brandonsun.com