‘A journey to bring one of our own home’
Furey off to France as province brings home Unkown Soldier
An unknown First World War soldier from this province is coming home this week.
Premier Andrew Furey and some provincial government members — as well as members of the Royal Canadian Legion – NL Command and the Government of Canada — are travelling to the Beaumont-hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France. They left on Wednesday, May 22.
The provincial and federal governments are leading delegations to France, where the governments will participate in a transfer ceremony, officially repatriating the remains from the Government of France.
Furey is leading the provincial delegation. As head of the Newfoundland and Labrador government, he is holding the role of next of kin for the Unknown Soldier, representing all those who lost loved ones during the First World War.
"We all know the tragedy and the story of Beaumont Hamel and how that changed the very fabric of Newfoundland and Labrador. To be able to start a journey to bring one of our own home after all this time is incredibly special," Furey said.
"I expect the next few days and months leading up to July 1 to be incredibly emotional."
‘INCREDIBLY SPECIAL’
The delegation will return from France on Saturday, May 25, about 7 p.m.
A hearse will take the remains of the Unknown Soldier to a secure location, passing several points of historical significance on its way, including the former Camp Pleasantville — where First World War soldiers trained — the 5 CDSG Garrison along The Boulevard, the National War Memorial, the Sergeants Memorial and the CLB Armoury.
The Unknown Soldier will lie in state in the East Block Lobby of the Confederation Building from June 28-30, where the public is encouraged to attend to pay their respects.
The Unknown Soldier will then be reinterred on Memorial Day, July 1, at 10:30 a.m. at the National War Memorial in downtown St. John's.
A funeral procession of Canadian Armed Forces members representing all services will escort the casket of the Unknown Soldier to the National War Memorial site, where it will be lowered into its final resting place, a tomb overlooking St. John's harbour.
"You have to think of the mothers and fathers in 1916 who were left awaiting word of their loved ones, awaiting word if they were injured, awaiting word if they were still alive," Furey said.
"Well, now we are able to bring one of them who didn't survive home, and it's incredibly special."