And let Mark White contribute…
This…
November 4, 2012
Hello Mark:
My brother emailed me this article today and I could not let the moment pass without commenting on your picture. I did not recognize your dad, but we might find him somewhere in some of my dad’s pictures. My dad is the Clyde Hillman in your photo. We have a lot of photos from dad’s war experience, but this one was entirely new to us.
Dad passed away in 2012 and I felt as if we had lost one more amazing war historian! Dad, like Mr. Strain, and many of the other WWII vets in Kenora, had a special connection or camaraderie My siblings and I grew up knowing who other vets were and we always respected them. They also had incredible wartime memories -not just as it related to their own lives at that time, but also their hometown friends, war buddies and future lives. To this day, I am amazed at their historical sense! Further, dad’s and others’ indignation at historical inaccuracies and « fiction » would make the air turn blue! 
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Thanks for writing your article and for giving me a nice reminder of something so important, especially as Remembrance Day draws near -always a HUGE day in our family!
Sincerely, Susan (Hillman) Brazeau
Of course Susan can do the same…
Hi Susan,
Sorry to hear that your dad passed away.
There’s not many vets from the war left now, and there are still a lot of stories to be told and pictures to share.
I feel it’s the duty of our generation to try and preserve the contribution these men and women made to our country and to make sure there is something left for our children and grandchildren to refer too.
My dad George White grew up in Kenora. The Whites were a railroad family. My dad had 4 brothers and 2 sisters. Harold, Laurence (Larry), Clarence and my dad all served overseas in World War II. Tom was too young – he was born in 1932. Sister Harriet married Peter Orchison who served in the army and sister Eleanor married a Dave Cairns. I’m not sure if he served or not.
My dad served in the RCAF and his brothers were all in various army regiments. Clarence also served with the Black Watch in the Korean war.
Larry worked as the Steward at the Kenora Legion up to the time of his passing in the early 1990s. I’m sure your dad would have known him.
It’s been many years since I visited Kenora with my parents, but I remember, Bob Husband, Louis McKay and the Johnsons as being some of my dad’s friends and war buddies. I don’t remember Edgar Strain but I recall my dad talking about his younger brother Neil who played in the NHL.
I’ve got a couple of pictures of my dad in his air force uniform with some people in Kenora. I have no idea who they are.
I’ll scan them and post them – maybe you can identify them.
Thanks again for your message.
Mark
Beautiful message…
For the pictures you have, you scan and I post.
Pierre
Reblogged this on RCAF No. 403 Squadron and commented:
Sharing and paying homage to unsung heroes…
Thanks for such a moving post. Your blog is a must stop for me! Regards from Thom at the immortal jukebox.
Having someone finding about his father’s or grandfather’s wartime experience is my only reward.
This is not the first time I have been contacted.
https://443squadron.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/my-life-in-the-rcaf-i-had-a-ball-the-story-of-captain-foster-the-draft-version/
Read Mark White’s comment in the comment section of this post.