From left starting at top: Angus J. Jacquard, Gilbert G. Jacquard, Vernon J. Doucette and Donald C. Gavel.
The Wedgeport Legion Branch 155 will be commemorating the 75th anniversary of the victory over Japan.
At 11 a.m. on August 15th at the legion hall, four soldiers from the Wedgeport Legion catchment area who served on the Japanese front will be honoured with speaking and a wreath laying at the legion’s monument.
PR Chair and Project Coordinator Cyrille LeBlanc says its important to pay respect to the soldiers.
“In order to remember what our soldiers, men and women, went through and the efforts they put in to fight for our freedom,” says LeBlanc. “We want to remember them and we want to remember them. This is all part of our history.”
Angus J. Jacquard a Rifleman in the Royal Rifles of Canada, Gilbert G. Jacquard a Tank Rifleman in the West Nova Regiment, Vernon J. Doucette with the First Special Service Force and Donald C. Gavel a soldier in the West Nova Scotia Regiment, will all be honoured at the commemoration. In the afternoon a wreath will be laid at Comeau’s Hill.
“The two Jacquard’s were from Comeau’s Hill and we felt that it’s important for us to honour them,” says LeBlanc. “It’s important for us that people know what they did and what they went through.”
The two men engaged in combat and were captured in Japan. Angus Jacquard died as a POW in Japan and was buried in the Yokohama War Cemetery in Japan. Gilbert G. Jacquard survived as
a POW in Hong Kong and Japan and was a member of Legion 155.
Vernon Doucette and Donald C. Gavel were there but did not engage in combat on that front, they engaged in combat in Europe. Doucette landed on Kiska Island and later fought in Italy. He was awarded the Silver Star medal of bravery. Gavel served in Belgium, Holland and Germany and despite being too young to fight, he volunteered to fight in Burma (Myanmar) on the Japanese front. The war ended a few hours after his arrival. Both men were members of Legion 155.
Veterans, legionnaires and public are welcome to attend the commemoration of the four soldiers. COVID-19 guidelines will be in place and a reception will follow the event.
