Row upon row of graves marked by stark white marble headstones that stretch for hundreds of metres over the flat Belgian landscape at the Tine Cot Cemetery, they serve as reminders of the First World War sacrifices of 11,956 Commonwealth servicemen who gave their lives for our freedom.
During his tours of historic battlegrounds in Belgium and France in 2017 and 2019, Eric Depenau visited those graves as part of a team of Rocky Mountain Rangers that placed a wreath at each cemetery where a Ranger lies buried.
It forever changed his perspective on war and those who died protecting our sovereignty.
“When you go to the battlefields and if you stand in some of the cemeteries and it’s a field of headstones as far as you can see in every direction, sometimes representing more than one individual per plot, the scale of the loss and sacrifice suddenly comes home,” said Depenau, officer in command of the Rocky Mountain Rangers Bravo Company Army Reserve light infantry unit.
“I think it helps drive home the gravity of what service means,” he said.
“It’s hard to fathom, the scale of what happened in past decades of the previous generations. What previous folks faced is something that, thankfully, we haven’t seen since, although conflicts certainly continue. It’s a complicated world and I’m glad we’re able to wear the uniform and play a small part in that even locally as part of the Rangers.”
Originally from Quesnel, Depenau moved to Prince George 10 years ago and he represented the Rangers in a 2021 deployment to Kuwait, where he supported Canada’s efforts in Operation AEGIS to relocate people fleeing the transition to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. He served as a diplomatic and administration officer in Kuwait from May-December 2021.
“It was a really good experience in that I felt like I was where I could have an impact,” said Depenau, recently hired by the City of Prince George as manager of intergovernmental relations.
“During my deployment to Kuwait, Afghanistan experienced their evacuation and Kuwait became a hub for a lot of folks being evacuated. It certainly left an impact on myself, personally and professionally.”
Remembrance Day is a time to honour and remember the 2.3 million men and women who have served, and currently serve Canada during times of war and peace and to pay their respects to the 118,000 Canadians who have lost their lives making that commitment to their country.
Depenau says we are losing our living ties to the Second World War and Korean War as veterans of those wars pass away and it’s important, especially for younger generations, to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies to see those soldiers in their uniforms in the parade and at the cenotaph, so their contributions are never forgotten.
“Hopefully folks will come out and take part in the day; we’ll spend some time at the Legion thereafter (the ceremony at Veteran’s Plaza), the doors will open to everyone,” said Depenau. “We’ll spend some time with those who have donned the uniform and were willing to do what the nation asked them to do.
“Everyone’s service looks very different. We don’t know what we might be asked to do. I often reflect that those who were in basic training in the summer of 2001 didn’t know what was going to happen in September (with the 9/11 attacks) and that’s the same for those before World War 1 or World War 2 or any other conflict. We don’t know the conditions we might serve in, but just thank you to everybody who decides to serve.”
