Okanagan Military Museum

MILITARY BIOGRAPHIES

Warrant Officer Sloan, RCAF

Biographies - the personal side of military history -

The individual and personal experiences of our servicemen and women is an important aspect of our military heritage. Ultimately all history is personal as it relates to the experiences of many individuals that make up the larger event. Whether it is the stories of airmen flying over WW II Europe, sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy on escort duties on the North Atlantic, soldiers going ashore at Juno Beach, army nurses in Holland or closer to our era, the experiences of soldiers fighting fires around Kelowna, these stories of Okanagan and BC residents bring our history a closer relevance.

The museum strives to collect these stories and present them to the public. Some of these stories might be of people you know, they could be your relatives - fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and grandparents.

The museum looks for opportunities to highlight these personal histories. Some are Okanagan residents who achieved high rank, were decorated or played important roles in our military history such as Brigadier Angle. All are worthy of being recorded as they have all made their own personal contribution to our armed forces and each, in their own way, had a role to play in events, some of historic proportions, in our history.

Come and see if there's someone you know in our displays!

A special call for biographical information! The museum is interested in the biographies of local residents who have served in Canada's armed forces. We are especially interested in biographical information on those listed on Okanagan war cenotaphs. If you have information on family members who either served in the military or who are listed on a cenotaph in our area please contact the museum. We would like to be able to fill the gaps in our local military history with information that you may have at home. Photographs, letters and military documents will help us preserve the historic contribution made by your family member and allow us to provide a true memorial to them beyond a name etched in stone or faded photos in a shoebox. Please contact the museum at: Tel: 250-763-9292 or E-mail at: omms@uniserve.com

The Canadian Fallen Heroes Foundation

The Canadian Fallen Heroes Foundation is an organization devoted to remembering Canada's war dead. The Foundation's aim is to collect photographs and biographical information on all of Canada's 117,000 war dead and produce a commorative print honouring each one of them. The goal is to put a face and story to each name on the local cenotaph in your town or city. The cost of production of the framed prints is funded by donations fromthe Foundation sponsors, such as the Western Financial Group and individual donations.

For more information go to:

www.canadianfallenheroes.ca

ANSWER THE CALL - stories of the Canadian men and women that have made our country's military heritage great!

Ottawa radio personality Nick Vandergragt has been working for several years on a personal project motivated by his strong interest in Canada's military heritage and the Canadian men and women who have built that national heritage through their service to this country. He has researched and captured many of their stories with the intent of broadcasting those stories on radio to inform Canadians of the compelling stories of Canadians past and present who have served our country in our military past and who continue to serve Canada today.

Some of these stories have been included in this website in the Canadian Naval Centennial webpages and highlight some of the stories of Canadian naval figures and their adventures and heroic accomplishments during the first century of the Canadian Navy.

For more information on the "Answer the Call" program please visit Nick's website at:

Answer the Call website - www.answer the call.ca