CHARLOTTETOWN – Fourth graders on P.E.I. spent part of Monday morning placing poppies on the graves of veterans, joining other children across the country ahead of Remembrance Day. The ‘No Stone Left Alone’ initiative began 15 years ago in Edmonton and has grown into an international movement. Last year, about 17,500 students participated in 220 communities across six countries, honouring nearly 115,000 veterans, according to the organization. “They gave peace to us, and now we don’t have war in Canada,” said nine-year-old Nova-Lee MacPhee in Charlottetown. “Soldiers are one of the strongest people. And they bring peace to our world,” said Nora Bruce. Bags of poppies in hand, the students fanned out across Sherwood Cemetery, taking time to learn about the veterans buried there. At Sgt. Cyril Bertram Crummey’s headstone, two young girls learned about the airman from Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1943 his plane went missing during a training flight and his body was later recovered from the sea. Crummey was buried on P.E.I. at just 23. “He did something he loved and he died doing it,” said nine-year-old Gwen Christian. Passing remembrance to the next generation The organization’s P.E.I. co-ordinator, Bill Crabb, was part of the military group that helped get the initiative started while he was posted in Edmonton. He recalls attending similar events when he was younger and listening to veterans of the world wars describe their experiences. With the First World War generation gone and so few Second World War veterans remaining, he says the responsibility now falls on those who served in modern conflicts to keep their message alive. “It’s important to let them know what generations before them endured,” he said. “To kneel at their gravesite, to say their name, to have a moment of reflection, I think it’s very touching.” Crabb, a retired chief warrant officer, was an armoured soldier who worked with tanks. His overseas missions included trips to Bosnia and Afghanistan, as well as Israel and Syria. The lessons weren’t lost on the fourth graders, who were left thinking about how much courage had been asked of such young people. “For soldiers, it was a really hard life for them since they were in the army, and I realized that it’s very nice to put poppies on their gravestone,” said Ruby Dunning. The visit brought mixed emotions, from sadness to happiness at being part of the ceremony. For Wiley Stewart, it was a chance to show his gratitude. “We’re honouring the soldiers that died fighting for our freedom,” he said. On Wednesday, Canadians of all ages will come together again to mark Remembrance Day.
