Over 100 veterans, friends and family packed Innisfail’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 104 Friday night for the annual Veterans’ Supper.
Branch president Bryan Clouston said the dinners came out of a desire to bring back some of the old military tradition, as well to give veterans a way to meet and commiserate. Clouston said 65 people attended the first dinner five years ago, with a high of about 140 people last year.
“My goal is 200 for dinner these days,” Clouston said shortly after the members of the Innisfail Legion Pipe Band finished entertaining the guests during the dinner service. “It’s really good. A lot of us go back a long way.”
Scanning the room, Clouston rhymed off some of the places the veterans in attendance had served: Korea, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kosovo and in peacekeeping roles around the world.
“We’ve got a bit of everything,” he remarked.
One of those in attendance was Reta Elder, 89, who was called to duty on Sept. 1, 1939.
“I had to lie about my age then because I was only 17 and a half,” she said. “And we had to sign the station forms – if you put a lie, you could go to jail. But I think they needed us.”
Elder worked in various departments, including the casualty section of the records office and the prisoners of war office. Elder said she has been volunteering her time for Revenue Canada for about 40 years – she’s at the legion every Tuesday during March and April to help veterans complete their income tax returns.
“It’s really good,” she said of the dinner. “The legion made me a life member last year.”
She travels to the Olds Legion on Thursdays to assist the veterans there.
Clouston, who joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1964, served in postings across Canada as well as one tour with the United Nations in Egypt and Israel.
“It was kind of neat – I ended up in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve,” recalled Clouston.
Members of Red Deer’s Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corp #1390 and the 7 Penhold Air Cadets squadron were on hand to serve meals, dessert and coffee to the veterans.
“It’s nice to give back because they served for us,” Emma Foster, a sergeant with Corp #1390 said of the cadets’ motivation.
