Frank Hawboldt, now 75, first joined the Legion in 1963 while stationed in Gagetown, N.B.

B次元官网网址淚t was discovered that ladies appeared at the local branch of the Legion in Fredericton most Fridays and Saturdays, so we thought weB次元官网网址檇 go in.B次元官网网址�

He and his friends were met at the door by what Hawboldt called B次元官网网址渁 couple of really old dogsB次元官网网址� who told them they couldnB次元官网网址檛 enter until they were members of the Legion, even when they were in full uniform. It was affordable at the time, but something else sealed the deal for him.

B次元官网网址淭hey said, B次元官网网址榠f no one else cares when it comes time for you to leave the planet, we will. And weB次元官网网址檒l wrap you in an old army blanket and send you off to where soldiers are quite comfortable. Well, what can you do with that? You have to take that deal, so we did, and IB次元官网网址檝e never looked back.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Now he is the membership chair for the Saanich Peninsula Legion Branch, and he does it to remind the next generation of the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.

B次元官网网址淭he Legion provides a port in almost every storm, and itB次元官网网址檚 obviously a familiar place for anyone thatB次元官网网址檚 military.B次元官网网址�

The Saanich Peninsula branch on Mills Rd. is quite small, so they are only open on Saturdays.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a time to reflect and a time to remember. And having served almost 30 years in the military in medical services, you meet a lot of people and of course you lose a lot of people.B次元官网网址�

Hawboldt spent 28 years in the Canadian military from 1961-1989, serving during a remarkable period of change for the Canadian Forces. Among many career highlights, he served as a preventative medicine technician in the Six-Day War and traveled to Denmark for joint exercises to prepare for a potential war with the Soviets.

While earlier soldiers were taught to always shoot to kill, Hawboldt noticed a shift in the middle of his career.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 so easy to get into a mindset that your enemy needs to die, as opposed to, maybe your enemy needs to be redirected.B次元官网网址�

The objective, he said, was not to create Rambo-effect with warriors, but rather to align them with a peacekeeping aspect or rationale.

Hawboldt wants more younger vets to join the Legion, but notes that anyone can join, whether they are a veteran or not. He thinks that social media should make it easier to spread the message, but he still thinks more people should know about the horrors of war.

B次元官网网址淣ov. 11 calls upon us to remember those of us who have given the ultimate sacrifice, and thatB次元官网网址檚 extremely important because history has a way of repeating itself.B次元官网网址�

When any aspiring soldier asks him for advice on what to expect, his answer is that B次元官网网址測our career will be far different from mine. YouB次元官网网址檒l be called upon to do things quite different from what I was asked to do, but youB次元官网网址檒l thoroughly enjoy it because you do it in service of your country.B次元官网网址�

Correction: An earlier version of this article erroneously described a meat draw held in co-operation with the Army, Navy, & Air Force Veterans Unit 302 (ANAVETS). In fact, they hold separate meat draws.

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com