My Military Hero Ancestors

Today is Remembrance Day. It's also called Poppy Day or Armistice Day or Veterans Day. This is the day we honour those who have fought and died in wars since WW1.

Many of us also honour our ancestors who participated in other wars. Do you have some military heroes in your family tree? My definition of a military hero is anyone who fought or participated in any way on behalf of my country, in any war.

Here is my list of military heroes:

My son who has been to Afghanistan five times in eight years.

My father, a Lieutenant who was in WW2, stationed in England

My uncle (my father's brother), also in WW2

My grandmother McGinnis' five brothers (George, Herbert, Chester, Leonard and Edgar Peer), all of whom enlisted in WW1. Edgar Peer was killed in France a few days short of his 21st birthday.

My grandmother Fuller's two brothers Ernest and Sydney  Simpson who enlisted in WW1 in England and in Canada, and her brother Albert who enlisted in the Australian Army in WW2.

Albert's son Frank, my first cousin once removed, who also enlisted in the Australian Army in WW2

My Loyalist ancestors - my 5th great-grandfather Isaac Van Valkenburg aka Vollick, his sons Storm Follick and Cornelius Vollick (my 4th great-grandfather); and another 5th great-grandfather Jonas Larroway all of whom fought in Butler's Rangers during the American Revolution

My 3rd great-granduncle Stephen Peer who fought in the War of 1812 and was killed at the Battle of Chippewa in 1814

Military Heroes

I cannot imagine the sacrifices made by all of these heroes in my family. But I appreciate them all and honour them today.