Letters to the editor: Where have all the flowers gone?
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- Published on Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Submitted By Cecil Pittman
The Neepawa Press
It is with great concern from me, and I can assure you many other citizens of Neepawa and surrounding municipalities who had members of their families involved in the military expeditions in World Wars I and II and the Korean conflict when we heard the instructions given by Mayor de Groot and Town employee Denis Saquet a couple of days ago to long time cemetery employee (some 43 years), Jack Follows.
I questioned Mr. Follows as to why the vets鈥� grave sites, located on the north end of the cemetery, were not covered with flowers that have been placed on these graves for many, many years. He mentioned the issue was discussed by the mayor and Denis Saquet. Their discussion did not include Jack鈥檚 thoughts on such a controversial topic.
You Mayor de Groot should be the very first person to support the placement of flowers on the vets鈥� graves. Surely you do not forget the thousands of Canadian soldiers who sacrificed their lives to give your home country and you the freedoms they so positively enjoyed. In the Town of Neepawa and the surrounding districts, we saw 122 soldiers killed in action in World War I and 76 killed in World War II and the Korean conflict.
I have been on several military tours over the years and have seen the countless 鈥淐anadian cemeteries鈥� spread throughout these countries. I had two uncles and several other members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles captured by the German SS and shot to death. I have been to the exact location and stood along the hedgerow they were lined up against and shot. I contacted families whose sons and brothers experienced the same fate.
I have noticed the Perpetual Care flowers have been reduced from 15 to 12 plants this year. The last time this was attempted by the mayor and council in the past, there was a tremendous response from local and rural residents who have purchased perpetual grave care. The flowers were not touched.
For 17 years, we had the three day Lily Festival. I was a bus tour guide twice a day. The positive response by the visitors was outstanding. They had never seen a cemetery like this one. Six former British airmen who trained at Neepawa鈥檚 Air Force base during World War II returned to unveil a memorial bench in memory of seven British Airmen killed during training here. I toured them to our cemetery to pay homage to their former British Airmen interned here, they were absolutely astounded at the beauty of our cemetery.
Mayor de Groot, please have those flowers placed on the respected grave sites. It鈥檚 your responsibility.
Cecil Pittman
Neepawa
