This memorial is dedicated to those who served in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. It was erected by the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 196, in 1955, to replace an old one erected in 1946. The committee included Doug Hames, Bud Smith, Jack Startup, and Frank Kalusik.
Excerpt from the Cominco Magazine, November 1955:
THEY WILL NOT FORGET: FRUITVALE DEDICATES A NEW CENOTAPH A simple cenotaph stands on the outskirts of Fruitvale. Nearby, stately trees mount guard, their branches raised as though in salute to the fallen heroes which it honours. The neatly gravelled approach, concrete base and fieldstone upright look fresh and new to the passer-by. They are new. The cenotaph was unveiled September 25 as hundreds gathered to see the red ensign fall away and to hear the solemn words of dedication. It was a sunny afternoon. Gentle breezes in the branches overhead set in motion a flickering fretwork of light and shadow on the little park. Along the highway they came – the people of Fruitvale and others, from Trail and Salmo, from Nelson and Castlegar … and beyond. They came quietly, reverently. The stirring sound of bagpipes heralded the parade. Behind the Balmoral Pipe Band marched servicemen, veterans, and many more … Canadian Legion ladies, Scouts, Cubs, Guides, Brownies and those to whom that day held special meaning; relatives of the men named in bronze on the cenotaph itself. Following words from the Scriptures and a prayer, the Chairman of Fruitvale’s Village Commissioners, C. Haines, stepped forward. Briefly he told of the cenotaph’s history, the thoughts behind its erection. Then he drew the red ensign aside and Legion Branch Padre, Reverend W. Edington, a hand laid on the unveiled stone, pronounced its dedication. F. M. Smith read the roll call of those who fell in two World Wars. Two wreaths were laid; the first, for the mothers of sons fallen, by Mrs. T. Wood and the second, for the Fruitvale Branch of the Canadian Legion, by D. C. T. Haines in his capacity as President. A bugler sent the sad notes of the Last Post echoing across the valley as the Colour Guard dipped their colours. A joyous Reveille sounded the end of two minutes silence. There was more to the ceremony, including an address by the Padre. But perhaps the most impressive moment of all came when, with one voice, the crowd joined in singing the hymn, “O! Valiant Hearts.” “…Tranquil you lie, your Knightly virtue proved, Your memory hallowed in the land you loved… No, they will not forget their fallen…in Fruitvale!
