SaskatchewanA 91-year-old war veteran is being recognized for his bravery during his service in two wars. ‘He went there to save lives and that’s what he did,’ says James McArthur’s sonDarla Ponace · CBC News · Posted: Nov 11, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.James McArthur was 17 years old when he enlisted in the Canadian Army. Now 91, he was honoured recently by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Saskatchewan First Nations Veteran Association for his service. (Submitted by Ira McArthur, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations/Facebook)A 91-year-old war veteran is being recognized for his bravery during his service in two wars. James McArthur, a member of Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation, was recently honoured by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Saskatchewan First Nations Veteran Association at a ceremony where he received a quilt and other gifts commemorating his service.His son Patrick McArthur said his father remains very humble about his service. When he found out he was being honoured, Patrick said James questioned why he was the one chosen for the ceremony when so many others also deserve recognition.“He didn’t go there to take lives. He went there to save lives and that’s what he did,” Patrick said. When James was 17, he enlisted and served in the Korean War. His father supported him and signed his enlistment papers.He served as a rifleman from 1951 to 1955, beginning with the Regina Rifles D Company, 2nd battalion, and later with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (in 1982, Queen Elizabeth II granted the regiment the title “Royal” and they are now known as the Royal Regina Rifles).“Back then it was just something to do. It was a transition year. You worked for a while with a farmer or something like that, seasonally,” James said. “That’s what I was doing before I tried to go off.” When he came back from the war he worked in construction, but after nearly a decade, he enlisted again with the U.S. army to go to Vietnam, where he applied to be a mechanic but became a medic. James McArthur was 31 years old in 1965 when he enlisted in the U.S. army. (Submitted by Ira McArthur)“I went to Vietnam in November 1966. I was there and I came back and I went back again in 1968, and came back home in January 1969,” said James. “That’s the history.” During his service there, he rescued six U.S. soldiers from a burning tank that had been hit with an enemy artillery round, earning him the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism — just one of his many honours for acts of heroism during his service.James said he didn’t go to war for the medals, but they serve as a symbol for his service.His son Ira McArthur, who is the current chief of Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation, said that as a child, he wasn’t aware of his father’s accomplishments, but there were some references to it (James also served as chief, from 1993-96).“I remember one of the big things when I was a little kid, the Rambo movies came out and my mom would always play those movies over and over and she’d say that’s how your dad was in the army,” he said.“He’s just our dad, and we would see him around the house and we didn’t have a real, a concept of how to relate what it was that he did with military service to our everyday life,” he said.James McArthur, centre, is shown with his sons Ira, left, and Patrick. (Darla Ponace/CBC)At the Oct. 30 honour ceremony, Ira wrapped his father in the quilt he was gifted. He said the organizations wanted to honour James as he is getting older. “He’s quite old now, he’s 91 years old,” Ira said. “They wanted to do something before he moves on to the next camp, I’ll say.” Ira said when his father is invited to attend ceremonies, James has asked, “Why me?”“There’s a lot of other veterans out there that they can honour and veterans he knew that he served with throughout the years and they’re no longer with us,” said Ira.James McArthur was honoured for his service at a ceremony on Oct. 30. (FSIN/Facebook)’Lest we forget’James was not the first in his family who served in the military. Four of his uncles served in the Canadian Army, and two of them died in the Second World War — one uncle is buried in the Netherlands and the other is buried in the United Kingdom.“That’s really something that we keep in the back of our minds … four of my dad’s uncles had gone over there and two lost their lives and are buried overseas,” Ira said. He said it is important to remember the sacrifices made in combat, not just by members of their own family but of their nation.“When we sing what we call ‘scout songs,’ which is our Nakota version of a veteran song, some of the songs talk about, ‘The queen called my name, so I went to serve,’” Ira said. “And so it recognizes that relationship between us and the British Crown, which is an important aspect of it as well.”James said, “I remember because my grandmother told me to honour your uncles, as far as you go.” James McArthur visits a memorial monument on Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation. (Submitted by Ira McArthur)He commemorates them, as well as those he fought alongside and many others, every Remembrance Day.Both of James’s sons say they are proud and honoured to have him as their father. Patrick said it’s stories like his dad’s that need to keep getting told over and over again so everyone doesn’t forget the sacrifices people were willing to make. “There’s not one of us who can fully acknowledge what he did over there, or fully appreciate his time, and truly understand what he went through,” Patrick said.ABOUT THE AUTHORDarla Ponace is a Saulteaux woman from Zagime Anishinabek First Nations. She started as an associate producer in the Indigenous Pathways program at CBC. She is currently working with CBC Saskatchewan as a reporter. You can email her at darla.ponace@cbc.ca with story ideas.
Veteran from Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation recognized for service in 2 wars
