Bill Kenney never thought he’d be involved in anything like it.
But he wasn’t just involved — the Korean War veteran travelled from his home just outside of Ottawa to be the guest of honour at the unveiling of a war memorial in his hometown of Conche last weekend.
He is one of just two surviving veterans from Conche.
“It’s a great feeling, a great experience,” the 80-year-old told the Pen.
“They’ve done a very good job to get it all together and I think the place they built it is very fitting — it’s the best place for it to be, near the church on holy ground.”
The memorial’s construction was in the works for a number of years and was started when former mayor Gerry Bromley was in office.
“We had been attending war memorials on November 11 in surrounding communities and people from here were laying wreaths in places like Roddickton and Englee,” Mr Bromley explained.
“I knew there were quite a number of veterans from Conche so I brought it up at a council meeting and there was a strong support for a memorial here so we went around the community and they agreed that there should certainly be a memorial in Conche.”
Next came the fundraising.
Over the course of the next year businesses and residents contributed through donations, darts nights, bingo, talent shows and a Conche bash in St John’s where more than 300 people showed up to help raise funds.
By the next summer $15,000 had been raised to cover the cost of the memorial and in February 2009 Fillartre Memorials were enlisted to build it.
“The support was overwhelming,” Mr Bromley said.
The large, dark slab stands at the bottom of the parish grounds surrounded by plush new grass and towering purple lupin. It lists the names of 22 men who lived in Conche at some point in their lives and fought in WWI, WWII or the Korean War.
Although the cenotaph was erected in time for last year’s Remembrance Day service, last weekend marked its official unveiling and dedication.
About 200 Northern Peninsula residents, representatives of most of the war veterans listed on the memorial, RCMP top brass and local MHA Marshall Dean and MP Gerry Byrne’s executive assistant were on-hand for the event.
egraney@northernpen.ca
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