Craig Meyers

On 17th September 2006, 37 years after his death, 749164 Private Roy Lester TRUSSLER finally received the send-off he was denied at the time of his death.

Roy TRUSSLER passed away in July 1969. However, due to bureaucracy between Veteran Affairs, the Royal Canadian Legion, and the ANAF, a headstone was to be delivered, but no group could decide who would take control of the case. After a few years of fighting with various departments, the family eventually dropped the matter and the gravesite of Private Roy Lester TRUSSLER went unmarked for 37 years.

Although Private TRUSSLER did not win any awards for valour or bravery, nor was he killed in action, I do feel that he deserves to be remembered as a proud soldier who did his duty for King and Empire. Despite never fully recovering from wounds suffered on Vimy Ridge in 1917, he again volunteered for service in the Second World War. He was deemed medically unfit.

In 2005, I noticed this oversight and with permission of the family took steps to correct it. With assistance from various groups and individuals - particuarily The Last Post Fund of Montreal a headstone was ordered and delivered in August 2006.

To meet the goal of remembering a former soldier of the 117th Battalion and 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, I requested assistance from The Sherbrooke Hussars who graciously allowed their Padre to officiate the ceremony.

On a crisp cool Fall morning at Malvern Cemetery, Sherbrooke, Quebec, 4 generations of the TRUSSLER family (seen above) came out to dedicate a gravemarker and to remember a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather.


(Photo: Craig Meyers)