Volume 25 www.legionnl.com 51 Newfoundland Labrador Command Honouring the Unknown Soldier Who I am I am the unknown, a soldier true, my name, my face, lost to history's view. On July 1, 2024, I was brought home to rest in peace in Newfoundland and Labrador. My remains were repatriated from Northern France to lie at rest in St. John's as a solemn remembrance. The National War Memorial, a place of honor and pride, was the final resting place, where I would reside. My story's told, in the annals of time, A sacrifice, a hero, a life left behind. on that day, July 1, 2024, I was brought home to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Now you ask who I am I am the young; I am the old. I live in your heart; you live in my soul. I am your father; I am your mother. I am your sister; I am your brother. I am everyone, especially your friend. I will answer the call, for conflicts will never end. I fought with courage; I fought with pride. I went missing in action, my family grieved and cried. In Valor's battle, I met my fate; in the hearts of the brave, I will remain awake. Who I was, or who I will be? Nobody will ever know but me. Now all know where I lay. It’s a place of honor, that’s where I stay. I lived and died without regrets. There is one thing I ask; You must never forget. Visit me whenever you can. Bring your family, so they too will understand. The tomb of the unknown soldier remains so cold; it will preserve me forever, as I will never grow old. I have fought for you; I have given my life for you. I have lived for you. For you are me, and I am you. That’s who I am James E. Mercer November 10 2024 The poem "Who I am" was written to honor Newfoundland and Labrador’s Unknown Soldier, who was brought back from Northern France and entombed at Newfoundland and Labrador’s National War Memorial in St. John's, on July 1, 2024. This historic event also marked the hundredth anniversary of the memorial's official unveiling in 1924. The following poem is titled "Who I Am."
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