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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 30, 2007 - 43 Research included interviews with Vimy veterans Continued from page 40 INDEPENDENT ANGLICAN St. Columba's Anglican g Church Services at Grace Lutheran Church Corner of Spruce and Reynolds Streets Holy Communion B.C.P. Sundays at 12:00 noon Anglican Church, Province of North America, Inc. I.A.C. Canada Synod 905-357-3331 "A conservative Anglo-Catholic congregation rooted in Scripture, Tradition and Reason." has come from heavy research, including a recent trip to France, Douglas has also included interviews he conducted with Vimy veterans back in 1983. Serving as a speechwriter for the Minister of Veterans' Affairs, Douglas had accompanied the minister to the site of the battle in France for a memorial service. It was during this trip that Douglas BUDDY GUY WITH SPECIAL GUEST: JACKIE GREENE SUNDAY, APRIL 22 AT 8:00PM HAMILTON PLACE PENTECOSTAL OAKVILLE ENTECOSTAL APOSTOLIC Tickets Available at Copps Coliseum Box Office, Ticketmaster.ca or by phone CENTER Sunday y Bible Teaching and Worship Service 12:30-2:30 pm (NORTH RIDGE ROOM) 905-527-7666 GO TO www.hecfi.ca FOR DETAILS IROQUOIS RIDGE COMMUNITY CENTRE Glenashton & Eighth Line 416-623-5003 ­ 416-995-6325 fax: 1-866-281-5983 spoke with the veterans about their experiences. "I heard some pretty horrific stories, but the feeling I got from them was, `It was terrible, but I'm glad I was part of it. It made me feel I was part of history and part of putting Canada on the map,' so they did get that out of it. They had this real sense of pride after it was over." Another veteran Douglas talked to in the 1960s was still haunted by memories of assaulting Vimy Ridge, not because he'd seen friends die, but because he was forced to trample over the decomposing bodies of thousands of French soldiers, who were still there after their failed attack in 1915. "He remembered they were still dressed in their fancy blue uniforms with the big high hat and the black feather on it," said Douglas. Vimy veteran, Fred Holm, told Douglas a story of coincidence that beats all others. At Vimy Holm had captured nine German prisoners and while waiting for a truck to come and take them further behind the lines Holm had offered one a cigarette. The German spit in his face. In that moment, all the hell Holm had gone through got the better of him and he lost control, pulling out his pis- Thursday y Bible Teaching g 7:00-8:00 pm Call for location THE OSHAWA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION JESUS IS LORD BIBLE CHAPEL COMMUNITY CHURCH D 2435 Munn's Ave. E. 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It turned out that before the war the German had been the maitre d' at the restaurant in the Royal King Edward Hotel in Toronto, where Holm had been a frequent patron. After chatting for a while, the truck came and collected the German prisoners and with a wave the German from Toronto asked Holm to, `Say hello to Canada for me.' Holm went on to fight other battles, eventually losing a leg during the battle of Passchendaele. After recovering in England, Holm returned to Canada where his friends took him to the Royal King Edward Hotel to celebrate his homecoming. "Guess who the maitre d' was," said Douglas. As amazing as this story is Douglas' book offers much, much more including excerpts from previously unpublished letters written by Private Ronald MacKinnon as he set out for his date with destiny on Vimy Ridge. "In the first letter he's in England, he just sailed over, he's real gung-ho, he wants to get over and fight and you see the gradual disillusionment coming in as the letters progress," said Douglas. "It gets to the point where he writes to his younger brother Neil and he says, `Neil stay out of this. Believe me, you don't want to come over here. It may sound romantic, but it's not. You can fight the Germans, but you can't fight the shelling,'" said Douglas. In another letter, Douglas says, MacKinnon wrote to his father that by the time he received this letter he would have heard of a big battle MacKinnon took part in over the Easter weekend. MacKinnon went on to write that he hoped to see his father in a couple months. "The last letter from MacKinnon's father says, `Keep your head down son. We're looking forward to you coming home," said Douglas. "Across that letter was written, `Returned Unopened. Private MacKinnon killed April. 9, 1917." Getting stories like Private MacKinnon's out where it can be read and appreciated was one of Douglas' chief motivators for writing this book. "Canada has as many heroes as our friends to the south," he said. "We just don't brag about it like they do." Copies of Valour At Vimy Ridge are scheduled to be released on March 31 at most major bookstores for the price of $9.95. Copies can also be obtained through Tom Douglas at tmdouglas@cogeco.ca. a order A y l n O line to PRIZE #1 - $100,000 ead HELP BRING CANCER CARE CLOSER TO HOME! Enjoy the outdoors relaxing under a Sunguard awning manufactured with your choice of fade proof Sunbrella fabric, and powered by a reliable Somfy remote controlled motor. 1-877- 460-3800 *All inquiries on the odds of winning are to be made to the licensee prior to the purchase of the ticket(s). Please see your brochure or visit cashforcancer.com for complete list of prizes, draw dates and all the rules. 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