7 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND A MESSAGE FROMTHE CHAIR As we all know, the past two years have not been easy for any of us having to live through unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we have still managed to continue our work in recognizing our Veterans and in fulfilling our mandate with this very important Remembrance program. Unfortunately, due to various COVID health restrictions, Legion Branches were closed most of the time during this past year. In turn, it resulted in a decline in the number of submissions that we received for publication in this book. Since we have been utilizing winningYouth Education Posters for the front cover of our books for the past few years, it was felt that we would expand this past exercise by promoting our annual Provincial Command Youth Education Literary Competitions in this Volume. A program that is centered around Remembrance. So along with Veteran biographies and photographs, we have included winning poems, posters and essays for everyone to see just how amazing our youth are that compete in these annual competitions. I am certain that everyone will thoroughly enjoy reading and viewing these great works by our youth of today. It is hard to believe that we are now introducing you to Volume IX of our annual Military Service Recognition Book. Back in 2013, we were very proud to introduce this Remembrance program to the Legion Branches and membership within our Ontario Provincial Command. And since that time, I am happy to say that the program has been an overwhelming success in recognizing the many Veterans within the Province of Ontario through this special Remembrance publication. Now that our Branches are now back to some sort of normalcy, we would like to appeal to all Legion members and the general public to now actively promote our program through the submission of Veteran submissions. Information regarding our program including a submission form, may be found on our Ontario Provincial Command website at www.on.legion.ca I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all of our Branches within our Command who have worked diligently in providing Veteran submissions for our books over the past nine years. For it has been through their efforts and the combined contributions of our Zones, Districts, and Command that has enabled us to showcase many of our Veterans within the Province of Ontario. Your dedication, support, and cooperation towards the success of this very important program is certainly appreciated. I ask that you keep up the good work. Special thanks to our two Provincial Coordinators Carolyn McCaul and MaryAnn Goheen, our District Coordinators, District Commanders, Zone Commanders, the staff at Ontario Command, our Provincial President, members of our Ladies’Auxiliary, and all of my fellow Senior Elected Officers of Ontario Command. It is only through everyone’s continued efforts that we will continue to be successful in telling the story about Veterans in communities across this great Province of ours. It has been both a privilege and an honour to have served you as Chair of this great Veterans Remembrance program since its inception in 2013. We will Remember them! Ron Goebel Chair Military Service Recognition Book Program Ontario Command
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