Monument unveiled for eight Nova Scotia brothers who fought in World War II
CTV
The eight sons of Richard and Sarah Harvie from Gormanville, N.S., are believed to be the most siblings from one family, from either North America or the British Commonwealth, to serve in World War II.
The ringing of a bell echoed outside the Royal Canadian Legion in Noel, N.S., Saturday as a town crier summoned the crowd to gather for the unveiling of a memorial, dedicated to eight brothers from the region who all served in the Second World War.
The eight sons of Richard and Sarah Harvie from nearby Gormanville, N.S., are believed to be the most siblings from one family, from either North America or the British Commonwealth, to serve in World War II.
"This should have happened 80 years ago,” said master of ceremonies Jeff Thurber, who serves as the president of the Hants North Royal Canadian Legion.
The monument offers a chance to resurrect history and pay tribute to the Harvie brothers: Avard, Edmund, Ernest, Victor, Ervin, Garnet and their two siblings Marven and Burrell who died during the war.
None of the brothers are alive today to witness the ceremony but dozens of their family members attended the unveiling of the monument.
Thurber said he felt that too many people had forgotten the story of the Harvie boys when he attended the last Remembrance Day ceremony in the community. He said he felt obligated to get their story out there.
"What bothers me most is nobody knows about them,” said Thurber. "You do a Google search and their name doesn’t even come up.”
