The Prince George Legion added a poppy beside the name of Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick on Tuesday. On their Recent Duty scroll, it is a somber show of respect for those who have fallen in war.
There are only three poppies on the list of Prince George servicepeople, dating from the Desert Storm War on to today.
The first is beside the name of Cpl. Matt McCully who was killed in Afghanistan on May 25, 2007. Although not born in Prince George, he was sometimes a resident and had close family connections here.
The next belongs to journalist Michelle Lang, the first woman and first civilian with Prince George connections to be killed in military conflict. The former Prince George newspaper reporter died January 30, 2009 also in Afghanistan.
Another first was realized when the poppy was placed by Fitzpatrick's name, he being the first soldier born and raised in B.C.'s northern capital to die in battle since the Second World War.
"It just gave me a chill. I got the call while I was at the Legion, and when it was explained to me I felt this chill go through me," said John Scott, a vice president with Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 43. Scott served 18 years in the Canadian army, stationed all over Canada, a stint in Germany with NATO and six months as a peacekeeper in Cypress. He immediately understood the implications of the news about Fitzpatrick.
"It is terrible losing these young people. The cost to the family is just devastating," said Scott. "We will bend over backwards, as we did for the McCully family. We held a service for them at the Legion and we were proud to do so. We are open to hearing from the family, and should they contact us, we will make ourselves available for them. We exist for the veterans and their dependents, but the extended family means a lot to us and we are there to be of service. That is our duty."
