Alice Wong, MP

The following are words from the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Jean-Pierre Blackburn:

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The recent passing of John “Jack” Babcock, Canada’s last known First World War Veteran, marked the end of an era in Canadian military history. It is our hope that Canadians will take this opportunity to reflect, remember and honour all Canadians who served in the First World War.

On Tuesday March 2, I announced our government’s plans to mark the “end of an era,” which include a national commemorative ceremony being held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on “Vimy Ridge Day” April 9, to pay tribute to the contributions and achievements of all Canadian First World War service men and women. International commemorative ceremonies will also take place at both the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, in France and at the Canada Memorial at Green Park, in London, England. In addition to this, some provinces and territories plan to conduct a commemorative ceremony in their respective capitals.

The public will have the opportunity to pay their respects by signing special Books of Reflection that will be on display at locations across Canada, including Parliament Hill, Rideau Hall, the Canadian War Museum as well as at each Provincial/Territorial Legislature. Books will also be available overseas at the Vimy Ridge National Historic Site, the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial National Historic Site, Canada House in London, England, and at the Canadian Forces Base in Kandahar. An online version of the Books of Reflection will also be available on the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site at www.vac-acc.gc.ca.

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John “Jack” Babcock

Born on July 23, 1900, John “Jack” Babcock grew up on a farm near Kingston, Ontario as part of a family of 13 children. When he was quite young, his father died in a tree-cutting accident. Despite this devastating loss, Mr. Babcock went on to bravely serve his country in the First World War before moving to the United States where he settled in Spokane, Washington.

He was 15 years old when he joined the 146th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Sydenham (near Kingston), Ontario. A few months later, he arrived in England. He was transferred to reserve battalions and ended up with the Boys Battalion (also known as the “Young Soldiers Battalion”) in 1917.

Mr. Babcock would later move to the United States, where he served in the American Army from 1921 to 1924. Mr. Babcock married Dorothy (Dot) after losing his first wife, Elsie, in the late 1970s.

Mr. Babcock read voraciously and, in recent years, completed his high school degree via correspondence courses. He had also taken local college courses. He could recite the alphabet backwards without hesitation and spell out his name in Morse code. He enjoyed travelling with his wife and taking daily walks to keep in good shape. He took up flying lessons and became a pilot when he was 65!

In April 2008, the Minister of Veterans Affairs awarded Mr. Babcock a Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation. Later that year, a small ceremony was held in May at Mr. Babcock’s home, where his Canadian Citizenship was reinstated. Another accolade came in September 2008 when the Royal Canadian Regiment Association honoured Mr. Babcock with the honorary title of regimental patriarch. This was the first time the title of regimental patriarch was given in Canada.

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