Cadets visit veterans

By Carol Parkes

As a fun, year-end field trip, the Creemore Army Cadets said they wanted to visit the veterans at Sunnybrook Veterans hospital in Toronto. Our trip took place on May 3, and we spent time chatting with the residents who are all veterans from WWII and the Korean War. Eighteen Cadets visited and enjoyed talking to true heroes of living history. We ended our day with dinner at Medieval Times.

The cadets spoke to a number of veterans about their experiences. We found a gentleman named Nelson Earle who was born in Collingwood and raised in Glen Huron. He enlisted in the army at age 18. He was assigned to a tank platoon and was involved in battles that destroyed four different tanks he was riding in.

Earle served in France, Holland and Belgium, and is now in his 90s. He suffered a gunshot wound to his left hand and burns to his legs, but remained in the army until he was 23. After the war he went on to become the General Manager of a large car dealership in civilian life. More recently, he lost the use of his legs and is confined to a wheelchair, but he says he is blessed to be living in Sunnybrook.

The cadets presented Earle with a quilt made by Creemore resident Sandy Van Laar. Earle was thrilled by the quilt and admired its workmanship; Earle did warn me that publishing his photo in the newspaper would possibly bring old girlfriends out of the woodwork! Can you imagine being 90 plus, in a wheelchair and still joking about old sweethearts?

This was an amazing opportunity for the generations to meet and for the Cadets to show respect for those who served. It was an experience all of us will remember for a long time. 

Carol Parkes is 1944 RCEME Army Cadets Creemore Support Committee Chairperson.