Swift Current Field of Honour project underway

Swift Current Legion Past President Jim Pratt (at right) speaks about the project to install permanent military-style markers at veteran graves during a ceremony in Mount Pleasant cemetery, May 7. Standing with him is Last Post Fund representative Glenn Miller.

 A short ceremony took place in the veterans section of the Mount Pleasant cemetery in Swift Current on May 7 to highlight the completion of the initial phase of a project to install permanent military markers on temporarily marked graves. 

The Swift Current Field of Honour project replaces wooden crosses on graves with granite military-style markers. 

The project is carried out by the City of Swift Current with financial support from the Last Post Fund, a national organization that delivers the Veterans Affairs Canada funeral and burial program to provide funeral, burial and grave marking benefits for eligible Canadian and Allied veterans. Members of the Royal Canadian Legion No. 56 Swift Current branch, who maintain the wooden crosses in the veterans cemetery, attended the ceremony. Last Post Fund Alberta branch member Glenn Miller, who served 25 years in the Royal Canadian Artillery, spoke about the work of the organization and the unmarked grave program. A total of 40 permanent military-style markers have already been installed during this initial phase, with six done last year and another 34 in the last month. There is still another approximately 40 graves with wooden crosses that will also receive the permanent granite marker. The Swift Current Legion  is planning to have a more formal dedication ceremony when this project is completed.

The Last Post Fund is encouraging Canadians to support the unmarked grave program by submitting information about any veteran lying in an unmarked grave for more than five years or by becoming volunteer researchers to locate those unmarked graves. More information is available on the Last Post Fund website at http://www.lastpostfund.ca or contact the Last Post Fund national office at 1-800-465-7113.

Swift Current Legion Past President Jim Pratt (at right) speaks about the project to install permanent military-style markers at veteran graves during a ceremony in Mount Pleasant cemetery, May 7. Standing with him is Last Post Fund representative Glenn Miller.