During Olds Remembrance Day services at the Ralph Klein Centre on Friday, Pastor Brent Reilly of First Baptist Church shared the story of his grandfather, who fought valiantly in the First World War.
In so doing, Reilly quoted the Apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
“We come today to remember and to give thanks for those who fought the good fight,” Reilly said.
Reilly said his grandfather, a lance corporal in the Ulster division of the British Expeditionary Force and his 12-man unit were among those who fought in the famous Battle of the Somme in the First World War.
“He saw his men being cut to pieces by enemy fire,” Reilly said, noting all 12 men were killed.
Reilly's grandfather did not give up.
He crawled along a shallow trench, stood up and threw a bomb at a gun responsible for much of the fire, disabling the gun and killing the gunman.
Later, he went out to no man's land under heavy fire “in order to collect remains from the dead and wounded,” Reilly said.
“For hours, he crawled among the broken, bleeding bodies of his friends, trying to find some way of continuing the fight; trying with every ounce of strength to find some way to save their lives,” he added.
Reilly said late in the day, his grandfather had a vision.
Reilly said he “saw Jesus walking toward him over that field of death, just as Jesus had walked over the waters of the Sea of Galilee.
“Jesus approached my grandfather and said to him, ‘fight on, faithful soldier.' And it was in the strength of those words that he did exactly that – he fought on.”
His grandfather received a citation for conspicuous gallantry.
After the First World War, Reilly's grandfather and grandmother immigrated to Canada from Ireland.
“They worked hard. They raised a family with love and saw their grandchildren and great-grandchildren born in peace,” Reilly said.
“What I treasure about the memory of my grandfather is not so much his heroism in war but his great courage and faithfulness in facing the challenges of life.
“Like so many returning veterans, he fought the good fight until the end of his life. That was his legacy to me. And I believe that that is the legacy that every veteran leaves for each of us: to continue to fight to preserve the precious freedoms we enjoy.”
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 105 president Linda Anderson called on those in attendance to honour and remember all those who have served their country and community in war, peacekeeping or as RCMP, ambulance workers or firefighters.
Anderson said the branch can help veterans in many ways and money raised by the poppy and wreath campaigns helps fund those services. She said money raised locally stays in the community, although the branch will help veterans outside Olds if the need is there.
She called on all those who have served their country and community to stand. They were applauded by the crowd.
“Take a moment as we're leaving today. Shake their hand; say ‘thank you, job well done,' and support them any way you can,” Anderson said.
"Like so many returning veterans, he fought the good fight until the end of his life. That was his legacy to me. And I believe that that is the legacy that every veteran leaves for each of us: to continue to fight to preserve the precious freedoms we enjoy." PASTOR BRENT REILLYFIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
