As Remembrance Day approaches, longtime Lanark Legion member and Army veteran Bob Atkinson is reflecting on his decades of military service and the importance of honouring those who never made it home.
Atkinson, a veteran of both Canada’s peacekeeping era and NATO operations, spoke with Lynda D’Aoust about his years in uniform, including UN duty in the Middle East in 1974.
He told Lynda, that he spent half his time in Egypt and half in Israel, serving as a communicator during a tense post-war period that saw Canadian troops move into the Golan Heights after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria.
A communications specialist, Atkinson maintained radio systems and travelled along the Suez Canal to support Canadian battalions. His longest posting was a five-year NATO deployment in Germany, where his family accompanied him.
With Remembrance Day approaching, Atkinson emphasized the weight of the day for veterans and families.
He also recalled friends lost in accidents, including the Canadians killed when a Buffalo aircraft was shot down over Syria in 1974, and spoke of family members who served in the Second World War — including three uncles who were prisoners of war in Hong Kong.
Atkinson’s service continued after retirement through more than 30 years with Lanark Legion Branch 395, where he has served as sergeant-at-arms, service officer, poppy chair, president and a long-time member of the executive. He said many residents don’t realize how much Legions contribute, from supporting veterans’ families to running national youth programs in track and field and public speaking.
This year, Lanark Village joined the growing list of communities honouring service members through a veterans banner program. Atkinson’s own banner is among the roughly 35 now hanging through the village. Families typically sponsor the banners, submitting a photo and brief biography to the Legion.
“It’s a good way to commemorate,” he said, noting that many banners feature veterans who have passed, while others display those still serving.
For Atkinson, the memories of his decades in uniform remain vivid — from peacekeeping in the Middle East to working with German armoured divisions during Canada’s transition to Leopard tanks. “I loved my career. I would do it all over again,” he said.
Listen to the full interview with Lynda D’Aoust below.
