Hundreds of people pay their respects as Newfoundland's Unknown Soldier lies in state
Three days of remembrance precede the entombment ceremony on Monday
"Solemn, sad, and appreciative."
Dennis Squires of Clarenville says those three words express his feelings while paying respects to Newfoundland's Unknown Soldier, who died over 100 years ago in France during the First World War.
Squires was one of hundreds of people who lined up for public visitation on Saturday morning outside the Confederation Building in St. John's, where the remains of the soldier are lying in state, in advance of being entombed at the National War Memorial on Monday.
Squires drove to St. John's from Clarenville, specifically to see the Unknown Soldier.
"It means a lot to me," Squires said, who was in the army cadets when he was younger. "Now that I've had a chance to come here, I couldn't turn this down. This is a chance of a lifetime and I'm so happy it all happened. And for the military people and leaders who put this together, we ought to thank them. This is our generation. We get to see this. And it won't be outdone by anything else that'll happen, I'm sure."
Dorothy Woodd of Gander similarly made the trip from her summer home in Plate Cove East to ensure she too had a chance to pay her respects.
"I felt that I had to be here," Woodd said. "My great uncle John Thomas Doyle, he never returned. He's an unknown grave."
The possibility that the remains were a family member loomed large in the minds of many of the people visiting the casket.
WATCH | Emotions run high as these people pay their respects to Newfoundland's Unknown Soldier:
"That has been particularly emotional for me because I don't know which soldier they managed to rescue," said Brenda Laurie. Her great uncle Charles Pitcher was killed at the Battle of Monchy-le-Preux in April 1917.
"Interestingly enough, he enlisted and lied about his age to fight the battle with his brother, my grandfather Darby Pitcher," said Laurie. "It's sad. He was 17 and his first battle, he lost his life."
The thought that her great uncle might have finally returned home was an emotional one for Laurie.
"It may or may not, but I'm here to pay respects for all of them that passed and particularly him," she said.
- Watch live Memorial Day coverage on Monday from 9 a.m. NT from St. John's to mark the entombment of the Unknown Soldier. Watch on TV, online and on CBC Gem
Many of those in line Saturday also have personal connections to the military.
Jane Walsh was a member of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and the service battalion in the 1980s. Her great-granduncle was killed in Beaumont-Hamel and her great-grandfather was injured in the battle of Langemarck.
"This is a big deal for us. We are remembering someone from our past," said Walsh.
"Thirty-three per cent of our Newfoundland men died. That is a big portion of our history. That's a big portion of our genes, our genetic heritage. It's been so strong to me. It's been part of my family for generations."
"My father fought in the Second World War with the British Royal Navy," said Wade Lester.
"It's a great honour to be here today, to honour one of our own that fought in the First World War. He's a national Newfoundland hero," Lester said in regards to the Unknown Soldier.
He said this weekend's Memorial Day events mean a lot.
"It's freedom, it's democracy, and we gotta keep it intact. And we sometimes may have to fight for democracy. It certainly gives us what we enjoy today," said Lester.
Peter Barfoot shared a similar sentiment.
"That person that's inside there now, that Newfoundlander, what he represents, not just the First World War, the Second World War, it's just so amazing," Barfoot said.
"I just had to come pay my respects for all who fought, who are still fighting, and our military."
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