First World War vet declines state funeral
U.S. citizen who never fought says honour would make him uncomfortable
BILL CURRY
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
OTTAWA — One of Canada's last three First World War veterans is declining the offer of a state funeral on the grounds that he never actually fought in the war and has been living in the United States most of his life.
Jack Babcock, 106, nonetheless praised the idea of a state funeral to honour the passing of the final veteran of the Great War.
"I think that would be good," said Mr. Babcock, who attributes his longevity to lots of push-ups and an active, non-smoking lifestyle.
His decision will avoid a potentially awkward controversy, as some groups in Canada have questioned the appropriateness of extending a state funeral to a U.S. citizen.
Members of Parliament unanimously adopted an NDP motion yesterday, calling for a state funeral when the last of the three surviving veterans passes away.
The vote caps a highly successful campaign orchestrated by the Dominion Institute, an organization that promotes Canadian history and that managed to collect 90,000 signatures in support of the honour.
"We're 10 feet off the ground today," executive director Rudyard Griffiths said.
"The First World War has been portrayed at times as a war of futility, of tragic insignificance and in some ways that's a bit of revisionism," he said. "I think we need to remember that not just at Vimy Ridge, but Passchendaele and the other great battles of the First World War, Canada came of age."
Mr. Griffiths had expressed concern about the possibility of a state funeral that recognizes a U.S. citizen.
But in a telephone interview from their home in Spokane, Wash., Mr. Babcock and his wife Dorothy politely declined the offer.
Mrs. Babcock said they have discussed the matter, and Mr. Babcock concluded he would not feel comfortable with such an honour because he never fought in the war.
When the war ended, Mr. Babcock was still stationed in England waiting to be deployed.
Mrs. Babcock, 78, says her husband has been very athletic all of his life.
"When I met him, we started backpacking. He was 76 and he was in great shape. I didn't want to marry him because I thought he was too old, but I'm glad I did," she said.
The other two known First World War veterans are Lloyd Clemett, who is also 106, and Dwight Wilson, who is 105.
Mr. Wilson's son Paul said his family would be more comfortable with a state funeral if it was focused on all First World War veterans, rather than just his father.
"I'm not saying I'm against it, I just need to know more," he said. "My dad would be the last one to expect something like this. We're a bit in awe of all this."
Mr. Wilson said he has not discussed the issue with his father. Like Mr. Babcock, Dwight Wilson was in England when the war ended and was not involved in direct combat.
He worked for Bell Canada for 47 years after the war and travelled Ontario as a concert baritone.
"He had a beautiful baritone voice," he said.
Mr. Clemett's niece, Merle Kaczanowski, could not be reached yesterday but was also hesitant about the idea in an interview earlier this month.
"I don't know if he'd be comfortable with a state funeral," she told The Globe and Mail.
Gerald Lefebvre, a spokesman for Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, said the department has been making plans for some time on the best way to honour all veterans of the Great War, as well as the passing of a generation.
Mr. Lefebvre would not commit the government to a specific action such as a state funeral, saying the exact plans will be outlined in a future announcement.
Though Conservative MPs supported the motion, one Tory MP expressed concern yesterday that the NDP motion was not fully thought out. Mr. Babcock's comments suggest the NDP acted prematurely, he said.
"While it sounds good, I think we have to examine all options and do due diligence before we go forward," said Saskatchewan MP Tom Lukiwski, the parliamentary secretary to the Government House Leader. "We want to make sure that all veterans are included in any kind of a ceremony or recognition, not just one."
