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Surrey student ‘broke down’ at Vimy Ridge memorial

Cecilia Kim researches, forms bond with fallen soldier
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Contributed photo In front of the Vimy Ridge memorial with the names of 11,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the war, Cecilia Kim reads a tribute poem to fallen soldier Joseph Hanley.

Remembrance Day this year has special meaning for Semiahmoo Secondary Grade 11 student Cecilia Kim.

Kim was one of 16 students from Canada to receive the Vimy Foundation’s national award, the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize. As part of the award, she got to participate in a tour of Vimy Ridge, Beaumont Hamel, Passchendaele, Dieppe and Juno Beach this past August.

Before visiting the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, students were tasked with researching a Canadian soldier. Kim selected Joseph William Hanley, who was born in 1895 and died 21 years later in battle. His name is one of 11,000 inscribed on the memorial.

“While I was doing the research, I didn’t realize that I was forming a bond with him,” Kim told Peace Arch News. “When I was at the Vimy Ridge memorial, and I saw his name there, I just broke down. It was such a tragic, yet beautiful moment for me. That’s something I continue to remember now.”

After finding his name, Kim shared her research with the participating students and read a poem, which served as a tribute, to the fallen soldier.

Kim said she has a developing interest in the world wars and Canada’s participation in them. She has a history of participating in the Royal Canadian Legion’s contest for poetry writing, loves social studies and said she read about the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize in the newspaper.

There’s one thing that cannot be taught through textbooks, she said.

“At the Vimy Ridge memorial, there are the names of the 11,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives on French soil. When you’re reading a textbook, you just see 11,000. That seems like a lot, but when you’re actually at the memorial you can see how many names, how many stories, how many fathers, sons, loved ones have been lost during these wars. It’s eye-opening, it’s one of the biggest realizations for me during the process.”

The “life-changing” experience will not be forgotten, she said, adding that neither will the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

“This Remembrance Day is going to be so different because we have learned so many different things and we have been able to make a direct connection,” Kim said. “It’s one part of history that’s so sad, but that we should always remember and be grateful of.”

Elgin Park Secondary Grade 12 student and Beaverbrook Vimy Prize recipient Daniel Schindel also participated in the trip.

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Semiahmoo Secondary Grade 11 Cecilia Kim reads the names of 11,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives fighting war at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. (Contributed photo)


About the Author: Aaron Hinks

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