Fort Harrison Helena Montana

[r.morrison]

Gentlemen: Just to add to Robert's story and Wayne and Terry's input....one of the fellows in Wayne's contribution article, Jim Summerside, was a neighbour of mine growing up. I was brought in a VLA subdivision (Veterans Land Act) in Welland Ontario .... subdivisions that were designed and built for Canadian Veterans coming home from the war. You had to be former serving member of the the Canadian Forces to buy a home there. Growing up there was something I would not trade it for "all the tea in China", as they say. We had veterans from "The Dieppe Raid", RCAF, RAF, Tank Commanders, The "Haida" Tribal Class Destroyer, Artillery, Snipers, Prisoners of the Hong Kong debacle and probably every regiment in Canada... and that is just a few houses. Jim Summerside and Roland Gillap were both members of the "Devils Brigade" and they lived around the corner from each other. A number of years ago, there was an article in the local newspaper about Jim and Roland going around to various schools in the Remembrance Day period and having chats with the student bodies.
Recently, Jim Summerside was honoured with having a street named after him. He is still very involved with the Canadian Legion in Fonthill Ontario Canada. I will send the article off to Hanno to be posted with this article. AND for all those who don't know the area I'm talking about...it's about 30 to 40 minutes due west of Niagara Falls Ontario.There was a TV special aired a number of years ago with the CTV network regarding the anniversary of the "Devils Brigade". It was hosted by Lloyd Robertson and he interviewed and recounted stories of the "Devils Brigade". Canadians would probably recognised and number of the participants. One of them was Jim Summerside. There was a point of the group interview where one gentlemen made a statement of how they would sneak in a German Camp and "dispose" of a number of it's occupants. AND Jim Summmerside added in at the end... with a dead pan face.... the word "PERMANENTLY"! God, how I broke out laughing at that!

Anyway....a little bit Tidbit to add to Robert's travel and more to come.

Cheers....Robert

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by r.morrison

Gentlemen: Just to add to Robert's story and Wayne and Terry's input....one of the fellows in Wayne's contribution article, Jim Summerside, was a neighbour of mine growing up. I was brought in a VLA subdivision (Veterans Land Act) in Welland Ontario .... subdivisions that were designed and built for Canadian Veterans coming home from the war. You had to be former serving member of the the Canadian Forces to buy a home there.

....
Cheers....Robert

When I came home from the Gulf War - Canada's first shooting war since Korea - I asked about my land grant, housing loan, and other benefits. Crickets. Silence. It was like Veterans Affairs had forgotten how to deal with war veterans in the nearly forty-years since they were asked last time.

[Ed Storey]

Terry, I hope you are not also expecting to also get a VA funded bed in a hospital.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by r.morrison

Recently, Jim Summerside was honoured with having a street named after him. He is still very involved with the Canadian Legion in Fonthill Ontario Canada. I will send the article off to Hanno to be posted with this article.

Here you go, Robert.

Great to see this vet received the honour he deserves!

Veteran honoured by street naming in Fonthill
News Sep 24, 2018 by Kris Dubé The Welland Tribune

B88379256Z.1_20180924165025_000_G75B8IAG.3-0_Super_Portrait.jpg
Jim Summersides with his wife Margaret at the official opening of Summersides Boulevard, named after the local Second World War veteran. - Kris Dube,The Welland Tribune

Jim Summersides is greatly appreciative of a street being named in his honour, but he's also thankful to have made it out of the Second World War alive and be able to still share his story decades later at the age of 94.

The local veteran and Pelham resident was joined by dignitaries and family for the official opening of Summersides Boulevard, a short stretch of road in east Fonthill between Rice Road and Station Street near the new Meridian Community Centre.

A modest reaction was delivered by Summersides at Monday's event.

"This really is an honour," he said, next to Margaret, his wife of more than 70 years, and their children Rex and Sherry.

In 1944, Summersides joined a Canadian-American unit known as the Devil's Brigade, respected for fighting in some of the most dangerous and difficult missions during the conflict.

"It's a blessing that we're here, those of us that survived," he said.

Sherry is grateful to the municipality, as well as Royal Canadian Legion Branch 613, for thinking of her father when putting forth the street name more than two years ago.

"I am very proud to be a daughter of a veteran and to have the community recognize them is beyond worth," she said.

First vice-president Jake Dilts said Summersides remains a familiar face at the local legion branch, visiting for coffee three times a week, helping out with the poppy campaign before Remembrance Day, and through countless hours put into youth programming over the years.

"He's put a lot into it and has been a great advocate for the legion," Dilts said.

Summersides, born in 1924, joined the Armed Forces at age 18, training in Orillia before deploying overseas and fighting in Italy and France.

In 2015, Summersides was one of 42 special service veterans, 14 of them from Canada, honoured in Washington, D.C., with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honour in the United States.

Source: https://www.wellandtribune.ca/news-s...g-in-fonthill/