In November 2005, VIA Rail ran a special train from Halifax to Ottawa and back again to carry veterans and family members to the Remembrance Day ceremonies on Parliament Hill. This train was organized by Ron Jackson and many others. It was a remarkable event, never done before and likely never to be done again.
Everyone Loves a Veteran was written by Ron Jackson and covers the genesis of the train, the planning leading up to the event, and the event itself. This is a great book to cover the once-in-a-lifetime event.
Throughout the book, Ron says that their goal was to "keep the focus on the veterans" and it is clear that the team did just that. The book starts with the initial planning beginning in February 2005, through the assembly of the team that organized the event, and on to the detailed planning leading up to the day the train left Halifax. It continues with a detailed account of each day on the train with the veterans, and concludes with some thoughts followed by letters from veterans, family members, and others who were involved with the train.
Ron even threw a bone to railfans with Chapter 4 - "The Train (For Rail Buffs)" with the consist of both trains, two photos by Geoff Doane, and even the URL for my own blog post about the train.
This is a fantastic book and I think Ron "did it right" and paid proper homage to the veterans and to everyone who worked so hard to make the Remembrance Day Train a success.
If you would like to buy the book, the order form is here.It is $14.95/book plus tax and postage, or $21.20 for a single book shipped within Canada. It is well worth it.
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