Pennfield Ridge War Memorial Service
~Walter Balasiuk~
Reading letter from The Hon. Greg Thompson, MP, Minister of Veterans Affairs

Walter Balasiuk

MESSAGE FROM
THE HONOURABLE GREG THOMPSON
MINISTER OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

     Please accept my sincere regrets that I cannot be with you in person today to honour those who served at Pennfield Ridge Air Station and Camp Utopia and the 76 individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice while stationed here.

     I would like to thank the Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society for its efforts in chronicling the important wartime history of this community. Your work in researching and compiling the stories of the men and women who trained under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan at Pennfield Air Station and Camp Utopia is a labour of love.

     I commend you for your efforts. You have ensured our history will not be lost and that our Veterans will always be honoured. The peace and freedom Canadians enjoy today was secured by them and the many men and women who served between 1939 and 1945.

     In addition to the 76 servicemen and 6 civilians who died there while taking part in the training program, I hope you'll also take a moment to remember those who came back to be our neighbors and friends. They helped build this community.

     Each of them has a place in our history. We owe it to them to remember.

     Please accept my best wishes on this special occasion.

     Honourable Greg Thompson, P.C., M.P.
     New Brunswick Southwest
     Minister of Veterans Affairs