Volume 13 Issue 18
Antigonish & Guysborough Edition
November 3rd - November 9th 2016
MEDAK
Article Written by Ryan MacKinnon
Yugoslavia was a multi-ethnic country located
along the Adriatic Sea in Southeastern Europe. Its population was made up of Serbs,
Croats, Bosniaks, Slovenes, Albanians and
many more ethnic groups. While tensions had
always existed between these nationalities,
these tensions boiled over into all out war in
1991. That year both Croatia and Slovenia
declared their independence from Yugoslavia
and established their own independent republics.
Within the borders of the newly establish
Croatia was the Serb dominated Krajina. In
the Spring of 1991 the Serbs made it known
they would not be a part of a separate Croatian state. They self-proclaimed the Republic
of Serb Krajina on December 19th, 1991.
The proclamation sparked violence as the
Serbs began to exile or kill their Croat neighbours.
The Serbs in Krajina formed their own paramilitary units which for the next month regularly clashed with the Croatian Army and Police forces. The two sides agreed to a cease
in hostilities in January of 1992 and with the
signing of the Sarajevo Agreement by Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak and Serbian Lieutenant Colonel General Andrija Raseta.
The agreement did not create a permanent
peace, but was meant to be a way to end the
violence while the two sides negotiated a peace
settlement. To keep the peace and to enforce the
armistice a United Nations peacekeeping force
(UNPROFOR) was established to take position
between the two warring factions, assist in the
er. The most common way the terms of the
agreement were broken was through the sporadic shelling of civilians. One such target was
the Croatian held town of Gospic. It was located close to the front line and along a strategic
communication route used by the Croats. It
was easily targeted by the Serb guns positioned on the high ground around the village
of Medak.
To get the situation around Medak under control UNPROFOR’s Commander, French General Jean Cot, deployed the 2nd Battalion of
the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
(PPCLI). Since March of 1993, the 2nd Battalion has been deployed in the Norther Sector
of Krajina and had been successful in keeping
the Serbs and Croats separated, protecting
civilian lives, and building credibility as an
effective force.
Arriving in the Medak Pocket in early September of 1993 the PPCLI were faced with an
immediate crisis. The Croats had launched a
major offensive on the morning of September
9th in an attempt to secure southern Krajina
as a part of Croatia. Armed with equipment
abandoned by the former Yugoslav Army, the
Croatian 111th Brigade, 9th Guards Brigade,
peace negations, and protect civilian lives. Both various Home Guard Battalions, and Croatian
the Croats and Serbs claimed the agreement as police pushed back the defending Serb forces.
a victory, but in reality the UNPROFOR was not Their advance continued for two days until Septhere to take side, but to keep the peace.
tember 11th when a Serb counter attack brought
the Croat advance to a halt just short of Medak.
The Sarajevo Agreement did not bring peace to
Krajina. Both sides continued to launch small
Continued on Page 6
raids against strategic positions held by the oth-
YOUR WEEKLY HOROSCOPE
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)
Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
Organizing the world around you is top on your list of
things to do. You aim to have a place for everything
and want to make sure everything is in its place.
You have a special magnetism and attractive power.
Your relationships intensify and have a deep and more
meaningful quality to them.
Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22)
You have the drive and courage to make your vision a
reality. Your confidence and optimism levels are high,
so whatever you attempt you will likely to succeed.
Your work life and personal life seem to be in good
balance at the moment. An overdue apology may come
your way from a friend or co-worker.
Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)
Ask and you may receive. The biggest thing is to know
what you should ask for and to honestly realize if its
available at this current time.
Talking about your feelings comes easily at the moment for you. Be sure to use this time to resolve some
lingering misunderstandings that have been weighing
heavily on your mind.
Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
Feeling down lately? Try to avoid venting your frustrations repeatedly to those closest to you. You may find
they may not be interested in hearing the same story.
You feel the need to strive for excellence in everything
you do lately. Try not to put so much pressure on yourself.
Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Goals and desires that normally seem so important to
you are currently on the back burner. Sometimes you
just need to sit back and relax and refocus on what is
important.
Things seem to be fast pace around you. Your flexibility, quick thinking and ability to accommodate the
unexpected will be a great asset.
Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)
You are always out to help others. Don’t think this is
going unnoticed. Keep up the good work and remember good karma will come back your way.
Stress seems to be building up in your world. Try to find
ways to release the stress by working out, reading a
book or maybe enjoy a refreshing walk in nature.
Your Community Paper - The Highland Heart
We’d like to thank our many supporters in the business community for advertising in The Highland Heart. As
a free paper, privately owned, our only source of revenue are the many advertisers you will find in each issue.
Their support makes all of this possible and we invite our readers to likewise support these outstanding businesses and organizations. Stop by and let them know where you saw their ad! Thanks - and keep reading
“The Highland Heart Weekly”!
Leah & Paula, owners of the Highland Heart Weekly Newspaper, feel the paper gives them the opportunity to support
local organizations and businesses. The paper provides a
place for the community to be heard, as well as an economical place to advertise their activities and services.
Visit us at www.thehighlandheart.ca or www.facebook.com/
thehighlandheartweekly
Please contact us at [email protected]
or by phone at (902) 318-5752/5686
Paula Brophy
Leah Chisholm
The Highland Heart Weekly is printed each Wednesday and distributed each
Thursday & Friday. Copies are available at over 55 locations in Antigonish,
Guysborough and Sherbrooke, as well as online at www.thehighlandheart.ca
We are always interested in printing articles of interest to the community, classified ads, recipes and more. Not all submissions will be printed. Please contact
us at [email protected] or by phone at (902) 318-5752/5686. The
Highland Heart is proudly owned and published by co-owners Paula Brophy &
Leah Chisholm.
2
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Poppy Campaign Kickoff
For the Fallen
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 59 Poppy Campaign Kickoff was held Friday,
October 28th. Poppy campaign volunteers Irene Chisholm and Anne Gillis take a
moment to pose for a quick picture at the Antigonish Walmart location.
Poem by Robert Laurence Binyon
(www.greatwar.co.uk)
If you would like to help assist in the Poppy Campaign please contact The Royal
Canadian Legion Branch 59 at 902-863-4436.
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
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3
Across
24. Type of bath
26. Laughing matter
1. Like many airports: Abbr.
27. "Step ___ office"
5. Alas kin
28. Sporty Mazda
9. Center position, in basket29. Photographer Adams
ball
30. Town in central New Jersey
14. Central American Indian
31. British bathroom
15. Labor Day mos.
32. Belgian WWI battle site
16. Horses of a reddish color
33. Old Testament book
17. Far from expensive
34. ___ Lodge
19. North Carolina's ___
38. Nimble
Banks
40. ASCAP counterpart
20. Concertgoer's "Well done!"
41. Off-roaders, familiarly
21. Miniseries segment
Down
44. Way off the mark
23. ____ in India
46. Family auto
25. 1945 battle site with a
1. Online resource for movie
49. 112.5 degrees from S
flag-raising
buffs
50. Original inhabitant
30. Gullible
2. Brand used instead of waxing 51. Pointed arch
33. Dime novelist Buntline
3. Banks of fashion
55. Genetic materials
35. Type of roof for a muscle
4. Belarus neighbor
56. Bones
car
5. Blonde shade
58. Opposite of bianca
36. Shakira's "Donde ___ Co6. Dickens' Uriah ____
59. Orsk's river
razon"
7. They give out PG's and R's
60. Majeste start
37. Etcher's supply
8. ___ de corps
61. Rocky point
39. 1964 Quinn role
9. Stir up
62. Japanese salad veggie
42. Shopping bag
10. Debt acknowledgment
63. "Don't dawdle!"
43. Follower of Daniel
11. Big vessel
64. Contraceptive choice
45. Ambulance staff (abbr.)
12. Wee hour
66. The I in TGIF
47. Bad, as a prefix
13. Original Dungeons & Drag48. In a pleasant enough man- ons co.
ner
18. Land along the ocean
52. Butte locale
22. Former airline
4
53. Prot. denomination that
keeps Sabbath on Sat. (abbr.)
54. Dated yet trendy
57. Declare invalid
61. Toga undergarment
65. False
67. London aroma
68. Spacious
69. Chunks of history
70. Rough and disorderly
71. Those, to Jose
72. Fireside yarn
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Download complete issues on our website or read articles on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Submit an article to [email protected].
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Sudoku
Fill in each square so the numbers one through nine appear only once in each row, column and
three by three box. Solution at bottom of this page. No cheating!
Cryptogram
A cryptogram is a phrase or quote that has been encrypted by simple letter substitution. You solve the
cryptogram with a trial and error process, guessing the letters that have been replaced. One final rule - a
letter can never be substituted with itself.
UYRLW RX C UWYXHECK IHFFRAFWEA. RA RX CE CAARAPLW
GORIO XWUCYCAWX WTIWKKWEIW MYHF FWLRHIYRAD.
Pride is a personal commitment. It
is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity.
The solution: No cheating!
Solution to cryptogram on this page:
The solution: No cheating!
— Unattributed
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5
MEDAK Continued
Article Written by Ryan MacKinnon
By September 15th, General Cot had mediated
a ceasefire between Croat Major-General Petar
Stipetic and Serb General Mile Novakovic. The
generals agreed that the Croats would withdraw
back to the line from which they launched their
advance on the morning of the 9th and the
Serbs would remain in position allowing UNPROFOR to establish a buffer zone between the
two.
Cot was receiving disturbing reports and felt a
sense of urgency to bring the fighting to an end.
Sergeant Rudy Bajema had established an observation post overlooking the battle raging
around Medak. He observed explosions, smoke,
and fires well behind the front line fighting. Clear
indications that the Croats were ethnically
cleansing Serbian civilians. Wanting to use this
position to direct the fire of their own artillery,
the Serbs threatened Bajema to remove himself
from the position or they would fire on him. Sergeant Bajema stayed and continued to report
back to UN Headquarters. The Serbs never followed through with their threat.
Charlie Company of the PPCLI moved from behind the Serbs to position themselves in the
middle of no-man’s-land while Delta Company
was to begin the task of pushing the Croats
back. As soon as they began to advance, the
Croats began to open fire. The PPCLI were advancing in M-113 Armoured Personnel Carriers,
painted white, with large black “UN” painted on
the vehicle, and blue UN flags hanging off the
antennas. There was no mistaking that the units
moving into no-man’s-land were UN peacekeepers. But the Croats were accustomed to making
a show of force and seeing UN peacekeepers
turn tail and run. Instead, Lieutenant Tyrone
Green ordered a warning shot to be fired. Only
wanting one shot to be fired, every man in his
platoon opened fire. But this had the desired
effect and the Croats cease fire. For the second
time the PPCLI had demonstrated they were not
going anywhere. They dug in to hold their position.
On the evening of September 15th the Canadian
Army became involved it its first major fire fight
in 40 years. Determined to turn the PPCLI back
the Croats opened fire will small arms, heavy
machine guns, 20 mm cannon, and artillery.
With no artillery of their own the PPCLI returned
fire. In the darkness of night, they had no clear
targets, but they kept up firing on the tree line
ahead of them targeting the muzzle flashes of
the Croat rifles. For the next 15 hours the Canadians fought off every attack from the Croats.
After hours of hard fighting the Croats agreed to
ceasefire and withdraw according to the timetable set out in the terms of the original agreement. Moving forward the PPCLI entered the
lines previously held by the Croats where they
found evidence that they had inflicted causali-
ties. According to reports made by the Croats, found were brutally beaten, tortured, and exethey had suffered 27 causalities as a result of cuted.
the fire fight with the Canadians. The PPCLI only
suffered four wounded.
Croatian President Franjo Tudman was aware of
what was happening in Medak. He saw the SerWhile they may have felt they were finally mak- bians living there as a national problem that
ing progress in enforcing the ceasefire, the needed to be eliminated through ethnic cleansPPCLI were about to run into more problems. ing. This would remove the Serbian claim to the
They were able to move to a Croat checkpoint, region and exact revenge for the killing of Croaand were supposed to be allowed to pass by tians in Krajina. Croat General Janko Bobetko
8:00am. The Croats stalled and negotiated a reported to Tudman that a successful campaign
delay until 12:00pm with UN headquarters.
of ethnic cleansing had been carried out but he
was concerned that speed of UNPROFOR’s adEven though the fighting had ended, during the vance rushed the cleanup operation and that
delay the PPCLI observed more fires burning the Canadians may find bodies left in the woods.
and could hear explosions and rifle fire from
behind the Croat lines. They were anxious to In dealing with the situation at Medak the PPCLI
move forward as it was obvious the Croats are could not have moved any faster or done anyethnically cleansing areas they control before thing more to stop the ethnic cleansing. They
withdrawing.
were the only UN forces to respond and took the
imitative to move from reactive peacekeeping to
1:00pm came and went; despite the agreed on proactive peacemaking. They prevented more
timetable the Croats continue to drag their heels Serbian civilians from ending up in the hands of
and refuse to let the PPCLI move through. While the Croats and ended Serb shelling of Croatian
a show of force had demonstrated to the Croats civilians. The evidence collected by the PPCLI
they are serious, a similar action at the check- was later used to indict Croat Generals Rahim
point would not go well for the Canadians. The Ademi and Mirko Norac for crimes against huCroats had laid mines and placed tank barriers manity and ethnic cleansing.
on the road. They had also brought up a Yugoslav M-84 tank, capable of ripping the PPCLI’s M The PPCLI had saved the UN mission in the for-113s apart.
mer Yugoslavia, had set the standard of how an
effective peacekeeping force should act, and
Fearing he was running out of time, Lieutenant- had demonstrated an exemplary level of profesColonel Jim Calvin decided if he could not force sionalism. After returning home, Canada should
his way through he would bring pressure in the have given praise and admiration for their acform of international media coverage. He invited complishments. Instead the PPCLI returned
the news media to the checkpoint and explained home in the middle of the Somalia Affair and the
directly to the world that “all I’ve heard right now beginnings of the decade of darkness, when
from the Croatians people at my level here is a defence budgets were slashed and the federal
bunch of half-baked excuses aimed at delaying government had little admiration for the
from getting on with the operation.” He went on achievements of the Canadian Armed Forces.
to tell the media “you’ve seen enough ethnic
cleansing around this country on both sides to
know what is probably happening in the village
right now.”
Embarrassed by the attention the Croats allowed the PPCLI to move beyond the checkpoint
where they came face to face with the results of
ethnic cleansing. Entire communities were devastated, all of the buildings were burnt to the
ground, animals and livestock were all destroyed, and no civilians came out to meet the
arriving peacekeepers. Alpha Company had
been tasked with and was prepared to care for
civilians, but there were none to care for.
What the PPCLI did find were the traces of a
cover up. In the communities they entered the
ground was covered with surgical gloves and
large pools of dry blood. In the wooded areas
around Medak they did find the bodies of mostly
older men and women, hastily thrown in the
bushes by the Croats in an attempt to cover up
their crimes. It was apparent that the individuals
6
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We Will Remember Them!
Ernie Aker Sr.
Blaise B. Cameron, RCN WWII
Francis Briand
George Arthur (Big Arthur) DeYoung
Douglas P. Coffey (1922 - 1972)
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7
What Does the Poppy Mean to You?
Ashley Pettipas: A symbol of respect and honour for those who have lost their lives for our freedom
Anna, Laughlin, Rory & Kayla Vanzutphen: Let’s not forget
Amy Landry: For me a poppy is a symbol of all the memories I shared with my Grandpa MacKinnon who fought in the Second World War. Everything he
sacrificed for our freedom is symbolized in one small token of Remembrance. He will forever and always be my hero.
Paula DeLorey: To commemorate military personnel who died in various wars And for today they call on the living to continue their conflict. The red
flower; poppy - the one flower that has remained a constant symbol to death, life and remembrance since WW1. Brings our past to the present and
makes us appreciate the freedom we have
Frances Chisholm: The poppy represents the men and women who fought for and died for our peace. They gave to their country without argument,
often paying with their lives, so that generations later, we can live in a peaceful, war free country. Veterans need to be recognized every day
Irene Chisholm: The poppy is a symbol of sacrifice and courage. We owe our quality of life to the veterans of the two world wars, and the conflicts that
have occurred since. Wear your poppy with pride and gratitude to the men and women who shaped our world and country. I personally honour my Dad
and Grandfather by wearing my poppy.
Debbie Cameron MacDonald: Amidst the beautiful foliage in our area, one spot of red stands out. Our attention has once again been piqued with the
launch of the poppy campaign this past week by Arras Branch 59 of the Royal Canadian Legion. This replica of the flower made famous by Lieutenant
Colonel John McCrae elicits many memories. As young children, we coloured and cut out poppies to create Remembrance Day displays in our classrooms. We were taught by our parents and teachers that wearing a poppy is a privilege and a sign of respect for all the young men and women who
halted their lives to fight for our freedom. I've worn a poppy on my Girl Guide uniform as I've marched with veterans, armed forces personnel, fire fighters, Brownies, Cubs, and Boy Scouts in Remembrance Day parades. Wearing a poppy has always been something I have done for as long as I can remember. I consciously pin on a poppy each day during the first weeks of November. The poppy is a visual reminder that we have so much for which to
be grateful.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
What Does Remembrance Day Mean to You?
Anna Vanzutphen: It's a day to reflect and remember all those members who put their lives on the line and the ones whom passed on.
Paula DeLorey: Remembrance Day to me means a time in remembering, reflecting and honouring our veterans who have fought for us. To the soldiers
of today that continue to fight for our freedom. This day also makes it an emotional day for the many that have lost their lives in the fight to allow us to
have freedom today.
Rory Vanzutphen: Thankful for the soldiers that fought for us.
Trista Smith: Remembrance Day to me is a day to stop and reflect on the men and woman who dropped everything and went without thought, leaving
everything that they had at home to fight for us and those who still fight for us today so that we could and can live freely. Something that we must recognize is that all of them were and are husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters to someone. For me personally on Remembrance Day is
the day that I think of my Grandfather and his four brothers that all went to war in WWII. We were one of the fortunate families that all 5 of them returned home. Every year on November 11th I stand proud not just for my Grandfather but for all the men and women who gave up everything for us.
Kayla Vanzutphen: To remember my Grandpa Macpherson.
Whitney MacIsaac: What Remembrance Day means to me is, a day to remember and give thanks to all of the veterans as well as others who fought for
our freedom, and put their lives on the line every day to protect us. Those who we have lost and those still with us. Thanks for everything they have
done.
Lachlan Vanzutphen: Peace that the soldiers gave us.
Leah Chisholm: November 11th has and will always be a very important day to me and my family. Growing up I would patiently wait on Main Street to
get a glimpse of my grandfather Mallie MacKinnon. I was so proud to watch him march alongside his comrades. My grandpa never spoke much about
the war to me. In fact we seemed to talk about pretty much everything else but it. He was a member of the First Special Service Force (FSSF aka Devils
Brigade) and there weren’t many days that you would see him without the FSSF spearhead logo on his shirt, jacket or hat. For the longest time I
thought the spearhead logo was some sort of brand of clothing that only grandpas’ wore. Although my grandpa is no longer with us I consider myself
beyond lucky to be his granddaughter.
Remembrance Day to me is a day to remember all the brave men and women who fought and continue to fight for our freedom. Thank you for keeping
us safe and for making our country such a beautiful place to live. I am forever grateful! We will remember them!
8
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Download complete issues on our website or read articles on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Submit an article to [email protected].
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We Will Remember Them!
George Anthony Doiron
Jimmy Duggan, S/SGT WWII
William ’Billy’ MacDonald, WWII
Andrew Joseph MacFarlane, WWII
Malcolm ’Mallie’ MacKinnon, WWII
Visit us online at: www.thehighlandheart.ca or www.facebook.com/thehighlandheartweekly
Download complete issues on our website or read articles on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Submit an article to [email protected].
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9
The Charlatan
Article Written by Ashley Pettipas
Captain Thain Wendell MacDowell was born in
Lachute, Quebec, on September 16, 1890. He
was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross.
He was 26 years old and a captain in the 38th
(Ottawa) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary
Force during the First World War. The following is
my depiction of what happened, told from his
point of view, based on the true story.
ad of German soldiers. The room was packed
“You see that?” I asked, squinting my eyes then and it was then that I realized had made a bad
dropping to the ground, lest it be an enemy.
decision. By the markings on the uniforms of the
two men at the front of the room, I could tell they
“Sir, that’s a soldier, if I’m not mistaken” Hay were captains of the group.
answered.
Breathless again, I quickly counted seventy-five
Frowning, I kept an eye on the figure as it disap- soldiers, plus the two officers.
peared around a knoll.
The Charlatan
Quickly contemplating, I thought of a plan. It
“Watch my back,” I instructed, leaving the cover wasn’t a great plan, but it was a plan nonetheI laid my head against the side of a crater in the of the crater.
less.
dirt in the middle of an unknown land. The dirt
smelled like the soil home, rich and fresh, but I I neared the dirt mounds within seconds, ignor- I jumped out, calling orders in French, pointing
knew in my heart home wasn’t where I was. All of ing the warnings of the privates. As I reached the the rifle at one of the officers a plain three feet
the microscopic particles seemed to stick every- mounds, I spotted footprints in the dirt. Following away. I guessed French would be better underwhere on me and had stayed with me since my them to the west of the first pile, I happened stood than English, but then again, who knew? I
arrival to France two years ago. Two years … had upon a hole in the mound. But it was bigger than slowly advanced to the nearest captain while
it really been that long ago?
a mound; big enough to duck your head and calling in Hay and Kobus. I instructed them to
enter a dark tunnel that lead deep within the gather a long cord of rope I spotted in the corner
I stayed down in the dirt for a while longer. My mound. Dare I enter? I thought.
across from me and tie all of the men’s hands
heart was beating at an out of control rate. I
together in three large groups. In French, I inturned my head just enough to check on my run- I took a deep breath then gave a silent com- formed them, We are part of a larger group outners, Privates James T. Kobus and Arthur J. Hay. mand. We entered the tunnel, bearing our rifles. side, surrounding this tunnel. Surrender now!
They were also sprawled out on the dirt after just A low murmur of voices of another tongue fil- Leave your guns on the ground!
destroying a German machine-gun nest and tered to our ears, a light reaching our eyes from
chasing the crew from another. There was no the end of the tunnel. Treading lightly, we Whether or not the German captain understood
doubt their adrenaline levels were as high as reached a left turn in the tunnel.
French, he put his own gun on the ground and
mine at the moment, the poor kids.
instructed his men to do the same as my men
I signaled my troops to hold their position. Silent- were gathering the herd into three groups.
ly I told them I was going in alone. I didn’t know
“You boys alright?” I asked, though I’m not much who was around the bend, if they were enemy, or In our large group of three, each and every eneolder than the two at my ripe old age twenty-six. how many there were. All I knew was that I want- my soldier was moved out by a Canadian soldier.
ed this war to end, and if I had to sacrifice, then I As they exited, the Germans noticed there was
“We’re all right, boss,” Private Kobus answered. would.
no larger group waiting for them; just an empty,
lifeless, dry, barren land. I could see their faces
Private Hay gave a two-fingered salute in re- I slowly advanced around the corner, crouched fall from defeat to shock to anger. One young
sponse, still breathing hard.
low and moving silently, my rifle in my sweaty soldier, filled with rage and shame, grabbed my
hands. As I entered the new area, I clearly identi- pistol out of my holster, his hands quick as a
“On that note,” I said, then stood up, my com- fied the new patois as German, and instantly felt card dealer though he was tied to over a dozen
rades following suit. I lifted my hat off my head the bumps rise on my arms. I came around the other men. He pointed the gun at me, a few mere
and wiped the sweat from my brow. It wasn’t corner and, to my luck, was concealed by a bar- feet from my nose.
quite summer yet, but the
rel. What it was filled with, I didn’t know, but I
just hoped it wasn’t gun powder, lest someone A gun fired, but the German fell.
Vimy sun was hot. As I scanned the horizon for take a shot at me.
the coming of the rest of the 38th Battalion of
“We got your back,” Privates Hay and Kobus
the Canadian Expeditionary Force, some small, The voices, there seemed to be two prominent said, their guns pointed at the German on the
brown figure moved among the lighter brown ones, got much louder and more clear. Slowly, I ground.
mounds of dirt and slightly green trees in the rose and peeked over the barrel. A short, spadistance.
cious room exposed itself, and it housed a myri-
Since Their Service: Photography Exhibition
Photographer: Charles Morrison
The J. Franklin Wright Art Gallery is pleased to introduce Since Their Service, an exhibition by photographer Charlie Morrison.
This exhibition will provide an opportunity to reflect on the contribution our Veterans have made.
Charlie Morrison practices paramedicine and has been taking photographs for over 15 years. Charlie has learned his techniques from trial and error,
reading, exposing himself to new challenges, and associating himself with professional photographers in Cape Breton. Charlie shoots a variety of subjects, including scenery, streets, travel, wildlife and socially conscious topics in black and white as well as in colour.
Since their Service will be displayed at the J. Franklin Wright Gallery until November14, 2016.
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We Will Remember Them!
Rodderick J MacPherson
John Alex Smith
Trueman Smith
Brothers - John Alex, Joe, Peter, John Joe, Donald Angus (Gip)
& Duncan Smith
SGT. Oscar Cookson Williams, RCE, WWII
Visit us online at: www.thehighlandheart.ca or www.facebook.com/thehighlandheartweekly
Download complete issues on our website or read articles on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Submit an article to [email protected].
The Highland Heart is printed on 30% post-consumer materials. Please pass this paper on to someone else or recycle it when you are finished!
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Word Search - Remembrance Day
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Visit us online at: www.thehighlandheart.ca or www.facebook.com/thehighlandheartweekly
Download complete issues on our website or read articles on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Submit an article to [email protected].
The Highland Heart is printed on 30% post-consumer materials. Please pass this paper on to someone else or recycle it when you are finished!