Article content Wolfville Legion past president Donn Miles says he thinks the Veterans Banner Program will be well received by the community and serve as a good visual reminder of Remembrance that extends beyond Remembrance Day. Photo by KIRK STARRATT /PostmediaArticle contentHonouring his fatherArticle contentAmong those who received banners this year is the late Capt. Edington Ray Duncan, who served with the Maritime Command and the Royal Canadian Air Force.Article contentHis son, David Duncan of Wolfville, said he and his wife Karen chose the photo used on the banner because his father was smiling so nicely. It was taken the day he was accepted as an officer cadet for pilot training.Article content“So many of the photos, they’re very, very serious, stern, because it was difficult times for many of them,” Duncan said.Article contentHe said his father served for 40 years “from coast to coast to coast”, always brought his plane and aircrew home, and amassed more than 20,000 hours of flight time. Duncan, who along with his wife are members of the Wolfville Legion, said the banner is a fitting tribute to his father.Article contentEdington was born in Kingston, Ont., on Aug. 4, 1933, and served in the army reserves from 1950 to 1952, during the Korean War. In 1954, he was accepted as an officer cadet for pilot training in the Royal Canadian Air Force.Article contentArticle content David Duncan of Wolfville says having his father, Capt. Edington Ray Duncan, featured on one of the Wolfville Legion’s veteran banners is a fitting tribute. Photo by KIRK STARRATT /PostmediaArticle contentEdington earned his pilot wings in Centralia, Ont., and married his high school sweetheart Ethel in Portage la Prairie, Man., in 1955 after graduating from the multi-engine and jet training programs. They had three children, David, Cathy, and Janet. During Edington’s time in the service, the family moved 10 times.Article contentHe was a flight instructor at Centralia and flew the DC-3 Dakota at MARCOM in Shearwater. During the 1960s and 1970s, he flew the Neptune and Argus Marine Patrol Aircraft at Comox, B.C., with the No. 407 Demons Squadron, the No. 2 OTU in Summerside, P.E.I., and the No. 405 Eagles Squadron in Greenwood. He also had tours at DND headquarters in Ottawa and with 1 Canadian Air Group in Baden-Soellingen, Germany.Article contentHe retired in 1979 to Kingston, Ont., and moved to Greenwich in 2002 after his wife passed away. He died on July 14, 2022. Edington was a Royal Canadian Legion member for more than 50 years.Article contentArticle contentDuncan said it’s wonderful that Wolfville now has a banner program. He was very pleased when the Legion decided to take on the project. He said they’d been seeing veteran banners in Hantsport for the past few years and thought it was a great way to honour those who served.Article contentDuncan said he thinks the banners are a great visual representation of remembrance, especially for younger people. They may see the photos and stop for a moment to think about a member of their own family or others who served their country.Article content President Paul Murphy says the Wolfville Legion plans to grow the Veterans Banner Program each year. Photo by KIRK STARRATT /PostmediaArticle contentProgram to expandArticle contentWolfville Legion president Paul Murphy said that when he became membership chairperson after joining the Legion in 2018, they had only 12 veteran members. When the Legion reopened in July 2024 following extensive renovations, they had 25 veterans. Now, the number is 145.Article contentMurphy said the plan is to grow the banner program each year. When people purchase a banner, the agreement is it will be displayed in the town for three years. He said they plan to add another 25 each year for the next two years, so there may be as many as 75 banners displayed in the future.Article contentHe said the unveiling was a special moment for him. His wife Wanda is a member of the Pick family, who had three members who served recognized with banners. They include Ralph Wilbur Pick, John Jacob Pick, and Clyde Layton Pick.Article content
Wolfville Legion veteran banners honour those who served, sacrificed for freedom
