The Indigenous Veterans Memorial Wall was put together with the help of our community members who sent in pictures, names and other details of their family members and loved ones, Indigenous veterans who are no longer with us. This wall of remembering will be maintained on our website and added to each year for Remembrance Day.
Baldwin, Ronald (Ron) Gilbert
1945 – 2015
Service Time: 30 Years
“Ron was a dedicated father and grandfather. He left his dearly beloved Newfoundland at the age of 17 to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces (Armored Corp) for 30 years. His career included many things that shaped his life. He was on several peacekeeping missions. Served in Egypt, Cypress and Germany. Ron served in the FLQ Crises & Goldan Heights. In retirement he found a new passion carving in the Kingston market. He was a creative artist, adventurer and dreamer.”
Bruce, Hugh
Hometown: Searston, NL
Regiment #: 280343
“Son of John A and Ann (Downey) Bruce.
In 1939, Hughie and his older brothers, Leo and Neil, joined the NOFU. He was nineteen years old. On January 6, 1940, they left their family home in Searston and boarded the train at Doyles, joining many of their fellow Countrymen as they headed for Port aux Basque. From there they all caught the ferry to North Sydney, NS, Canada and boarded a train to Halifax. Shortly after arriving in Halifax they shipped to Scotland via the Antonio.
In 1941 Hughie joined the Royal Navy. He traveled the Atlantic Ocean from one continent to another. He spent an entire year in Sierra Leone. At that time it was known as “the white man’s grave,” as so many there died either from street violence or malaria. He was in Belgium on May 7th, 1945 when the Germans surrendered. The following day they sailed to Rotterdam in order to clear the harbour so that relief ships carrying food and supplies could be brought safely to port.
Hughie was released from the Royal Navy in 1946 upon his return home to Newfoundland. He worked for a short while in Corner Brook before finding employment on the Ernest Harmon Air Force base in Stephenville. He settled into the area of town known as Moonshine Valley and remained there for the rest of his life.
Our father rarely spoke of his time during WWII when we were children. It was not until his grandchildren arrived with homework assignments and their very direct questions that we learned more details. My daughter asked if he had ever seen a German during the war. He replied that the first German he saw was in Rotterdam Harbour. “They were prisoners of war chained together along the dock. They were children,” he said, “teenagers, young boys and they were starving.” He told her that all the children in Holland were starving. The loss of life, the hungry children, and and the inhumanity of war impacted my father’s views for the rest of his life. There were memories that haunted his dreams when he was in his eighties. Hughie Bruce was a proud veteran, but he never glorified war and he scorned those in power that would have such little regard for not only their own countrymen, but for each man, woman and child.”
-Peggy
Cormier, Francis (Frank) Joseph
1917 – 2011
Francis served with the 166 Newfoundland Regiment in Italy and North Africa.
DuHart, Harrison
Rank: Gunner
Regiment #: 970527
Service Time: ? – 1945
GNR Harrison DuHart served in the Second World War with the Royal Artillery, Newfoundland Regiment. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
DuHart, Joseph
1900 – ?
Hometown: Flat Bay, NL
Rank: Private
Regiment #: 8366
Service Time: October 9, 1917 – April 1, 1919
Pte. Joseph DuHart was born in Flat Bay on April 3, 1900. Pte. DuHart served in the First World War with the Newfoundland Forestry Corps, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment. He enlisted October 9, 1917 and was discharged April 1, 1919. Article
Gallant, William (Willie)
? – 1941
Service Time: 1940 – 1941
“In 1940, during the Second World War, William Gallant, a single, young man in his early 20’s, from Stephenville, Newfoundland, left his home to embark on a journey which would not see his return.
As part of a volunteer group, with the Newfoundland Forestry Commission -contributing to the war effort – he traveled by ship to Liverpool, England from Halifax, after arriving by train from Sydney and Port Aux Basques – Newfoundland was a British colony at this time, a part of the British empire.
He was deployed to the South of Scotland but returned to London where he joined the Royal Navy. The ship he was assigned to, the HMS Hood, on his first trip to sea, tried to intercept the Bismarck, but was blown out of the water by its enemy. William’s life was lost. His choice of challenge and adventure to assist in his country’s freedom cost him his life, never to see his family again, and never to know a family of his own.”
Holley, Gordon Baxter
1930 – 2019
Hometown: Corner Brook, NL
Rank: Warrant Officer
Service Time: 28+ Years
Served in Royal Canadian Air Force as a Firefighter (MOC 651) for over 28 years.
Holley, Wayne Gordon
1956 – 2013
Hometown: Gander, NL
Rank: Master Corporal
Service Time: 16+ Years
Served in Royal Canadian Air Force as a Communicator Research (MOC 291) for over 16 years before being medically released.
LaSaga, Donald Albert
1961 – 2021
Hometown: Flat Bay, NL
Rank: Corporal
Service Time: January 18, 1979 – August 11, 1996
Corporal Donald Albert LaSaga, was born on 22 October 1961, in Flat Bay Newfoundland. Deceased Stephenville Newfoundland, August 14, 2021. Photo 2
- January 18, 1979: Land Reserve C Company, Second Battalion Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
- March 19, 1979 to March 1, 1982: Infantry 3 PPCLI Esquimalt British Columbia.
- October 4, 1982 to August 11, 1996: Retired Corporal Sheet Metal Tech. 1AMS 4 Wing Cold Lake Alberta.
Loder, Francis (Frank) C.
? – 1944
Hometown: Summerside, NL
Service Time: July 5, 1941 – June 13, 1944
Enlisted July 5, 1941 in Corner Brook, NL.
Madore, George Albert
1894 – 1916
Hometown: Woods Island, NL
Rank: Private
Regiment #: 1458
Service Time: 1915 – 1917
Born in 1894 to Alcide & Irene Madore, George enlisted in 1915 with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and was injured at Beaumont Hamel in 1916. He was later killed at Monchy LePrieux in April 1917.
Madore, Walter
1907 – 1942
Hometown: Woods Island, NL
Rank: Boatswain
Service Time: ? – November 2, 1942
Born in 1907 to Alcide & Irene Madore, Walter served with the British Merchant Navy aboard the Yorkmoor (torpedoed May 28, 1942) and later the Hartington (torpedoed November 2, 1942).
McKay, Alfred Joseph (Joe)
1916 – 2014
Hometown: Stephenville Crossing, NL
Service Time: 1943 – ?
“My father was born in Stephenville Crossing on May 16, 1916 and was a WWII veteran who joined the Halifax Rifles in 1943 and later with an Ontario Regiment. He remained with them until the end of the war. He was a Trooper, riding in tanks in places such as Holland, Italy, Africa, Ireland, France and England.
He was very proud of being an Indigenous Veteran. Sadly he passed away in 2014 at the wonderful old age of 97. He was the last remaining WWII Veteran of Stephenville Crossing.”
-June McKay
Oliver, John M.
1904 – ?
Hometown: St. George’s, NL
Regiment #: 970588
Service Time: 1939 – 1945
John served for 6 years in WW2 from 1939-1945 in the Newfoundland Regiment #970588 and fought in Italy. He lived to be 100 years old.
Vincent, Arthur Noble
1931 – 2015
“My grandfather was a man with strong, indigenous roots. As a young boy he fished lobster with his father (Augustus) and grandfather (Joseph) and helped his father as a trapper. He held many jobs over the years but was most proud to serve in the Navy in the 1950’s. He travelled all over the world and sailed the seven seas. He was a man who always volunteered in his community. He is one of two men in the Province to hold the position of Mayor in two different communities (Benoit’s Cove in 1973 and York Harbor in 1982). He was a member of the Benoit’s Cove Indian Band from the onset and served as Vice Chief and Chief in various years.”
-Erica Humber-Shears
White, Nick
Hometown: Kippens, NL
Rank: Warrant Officer
Service Time: 21 Years
The youngest son of Alan and Harriet White of Kippens NL, served 21 years with the Canadian Military Engineers as a Refrigeration Mechanic and Construction Engineering Superintendent. Photo 2
Young, Leonard
Hometown: Sheaves Cove, NL
Service Time: 3 Years
Served with The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
The deadline for new submissions in 2022 has closed, any new submissions will be added to the Memorial Wall in 2023.
Please ensure that your photo submission is of a high resolution so that the image can be clearly displayed on our website. We also ask you to tell us about the Veteran with details such as their name, years of service, their regiment or unit, and their home community.
Submissions can be made by emailing communications@qalipu.ca
You can view the full version of the submitted photos by clicking the thumbnail images above.