Canadian flags to honour veterans destroyed at gravesites in Summerside
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SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Dozens of Canadian flags positioned on the gravesites of veterans in three Summerside cemeteries have been destroyed on three separate events not too long ago.
The primary incident occurred Oct. 30, the second Nov. 1 and the third Nov. 2 at St. Paul’s Cemetery, Peoples Cemetery and St. John Cemetery.
The small flags and poles are put in yearly by volunteers from Summerside’s George R. Pearkes V.C. Department 5 Royal Canadian Legion, earlier than Remembrance Day.
Gayle Mueller, first vice-president of the Legion and native Poppy Marketing campaign chair, stated hours of labor went into placing these flags up. She additionally made memorials consisting of assorted wreaths and crosses that had been positioned prominently at every cemetery, which had been additionally broken.
After the primary incident on Oct. 30, Mueller stated she went again with one other particular person and changed as many flags as they may and glued up a memorial that had been tossed within the snow.
“However that did not assist. They only went again and did extra. And now final evening, my memorial is totally gone. And I am unable to change them. I am unable to,” she stated. “I’m so upset. I used to be shaking, that anyone would disrespect our veterans like that. Actually, it’s past my creativeness, what goes by means of folks’s heads to do horrible issues like that.”
“I’m so upset. I used to be shaking, that anyone would disrespect our veterans like that.” – Gayle Mueller
Mueller dismissed the concept that climate might have performed an element within the injury, because the Legion switched to a harder materials for his or her flags particularly as a result of the weather used to fade and injury the previous paper ones it used to make use of.
She additionally stated there was a witness to one of many incidents, who reportedly noticed two folks eradicating flags from the higher a part of St. Paul’s Cemetery on Oct. 30, however by the point that info was relayed to the correct authorities the perpetrators had been gone.
Mueller stated she doesn’t know why anybody would interact in such actions, particularly with Remembrance Day simply across the nook.
“I’ve by no means seen such horrible behaviour and disrespect. We reside on this nation in peace and freedom due to our veterans. We honour them someday a 12 months to say thanks, and for somebody to desecrate one thing so vital at their gravesite, what’s fallacious with folks?”
Mueller stated the flags received’t get replaced once more this 12 months. All of the leftovers they’d have been exhausted.
“And if we put them up, they’ll simply destroy them anyway. So why go to the expense of doing that?”
She needs to plead with whoever did it to cease.
“Cease disrespecting the veterans, as a result of that is horrible.”
John MacIsaac, president of P.E.I. Provincial Command for the Legion, says it’s a disgrace that anybody would destroy flags meant to honour veterans.
“That is simply not okay. It is actually horrible that somebody would consider doing that to our veterans’ graves. That’s simply plain vandalism.”
He stated the Legion has had complaints of individuals stealing poppy cans, which he stated is comparatively unusual, however has by no means heard of one thing like this incident earlier than.
“Anyone I do know has the utmost respect for our deceased veterans. From a Legion’s perspective, it is actually horrible and people who are accountable ought to be held accountable.”
Vivian Ulinwa is a reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. She might be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on X @vivian_ulinwa.
