The monument is dedicated to the memory of all members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force killed during World War I and also as a memorial for Canadian soldiers killed who have no known graves- some 11,285 of them. Their names are inscribed on the outer walls of the monument.
This is a small scale replica of the Vimy Ridge monument which is housed in the military museum on Citadel Hill in Halifax: The actual memorial is located in France, on the highest part of Vimy Ridge, where, between April 9-12, 1917 all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought and defeated the German army, taking the Ridge. While not the greatest Canadian military victory, it is one which holds great significance for Canadians because it marked the first time that Canadian troops fought together as countrymen, not just as part of the British empire. It is said that Canada truly became a nation on that battlefield. While the monument incorporates many sculptures, the principal one is Canada Bereft, the cloaked figure of a woman standing with bowed head, carved from a single block of stone weighing 30 tonnes. Below her is a sarcophagus which has a combat helmet and a sword lying on it, and is draped in laurel leaves. She symbolizes the nation of Canada, mourning her lost sons. She faces the east, looking to the dawn of a new day. The monument is dedicated to the memory of all members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force killed during World War I and also as a memorial for Canadian soldiers killed who have no known graves- some 11,285 of them. Their names are inscribed on the outer walls of the monument.
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James Montgomery Doohan was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1920. In 1938 he joined the 102 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps and then, when war broke out in 1940 Doohan enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery. He was assigned to the 14th Field Battery in the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division and was later promoted to Lieutenant in the 14th Field Artillery Regiment in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. On D-Day, Lt. Doohan landed at Juno Beach with the Canadian Forces. He later recalled of the day: "The sea was rough; we were more afraid of drowning than the Germans." Doohan personally shot two snipers and led his men through a field of anti-tank mines to higher ground where they dug in for the night. Doohan was passing between command posts around 11:30 that night when he was hit by six rounds of friendly fire. He took four bullets in the leg, one in the hand, and one in the chest which was fortunately deflected by a cigarette case. Doohan recovered but had to have a finger on his right hand amputated. His injuries ended his army service but, undeterred, he took an Air Observation Pilot course and flew in 666 Squadron in the Royal Canadian Airforce. It was during this training that Doohan became known as "the craziest pilot in the Canadian Airforce" due to an incident which occurred early in 1945. On the Salisbury Plain in England- an RAF station was nearby- Doohan slalomed his plane down a mountainside between telegraph poles just to prove it could be done. He received an official reprimand for this stunt. For his service in World War II, James Doohan was awarded the following decorations: Lieutenant of the Royal Canadian Order, United Kingdom 1939-1945 Star, United Kingdom France and Germany Star, United Kingdom Defense Medal 1939- 1945, United Kingdom War Medal 1939-1945, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. After the war was over Doohan became an actor, his most iconic role of course being that of Montgomery Scott, Chief Engineer on Star Trek:TOS. While working on that show, Doohan made an effort to keep his right hand with it's missing finger away from the camera. He reasoned that, in the futuristic time portrayed in TOS, they would have the ability to reattach/replace fingers, so he endeavoured to keep his injured hand out of sight. James Doohan died in 2005 due in part to pulmonary fibrosis which was caused by inhaling noxious substances during W.W. II.
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