291 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND SMITHERMAN, James W. James was born in Toronto, Ontario on September 17, 1924. He joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve on June 15, 1942 and was discharged on November 15, 1945. He served on HMCS Regina, HMCS Bittersweet and HMCS Fort William. He participated in one of the largest convoys to cross from St. John’s, Newfoundland to England, that of 160 ships. He also volunteered to serve on HMCS Fort William to sweep mines in the English Channel. In one instance, he brought home 23 soldiers from England to Canada, a trip that took nineteen days. He has been a member of Port Perry Legion Branch 419 for forty-two years. ST. AMOUR, Pierre A. Pierre was born in Shackleton Township, Ontario on March 1, 1960. He enlisted on March 7, 1977 and served with the following units: 5th Canadian Light Infantry; 129 Airfield Air Defence; Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Special Service Force; 1st Regiment Horse Artillery, Air Defence; Air Defence Artillery School; 4th Air Defence Regiment; 1st Air Defence Regiment; and the Canadian Armed Forces European Command, as Chief Warrant Officer. He served in Canada and Germany with NATO (3 tours) and received the Special Service Medal. After his release from the military in July 1996, Pierre returned to Moonbeam, Ontario and got involved as a Scuba Diving Instructor and with St. John’s Ambulance. He was also a CPR Instructor and Captain of the Fauquier Fire Department. He is self-employed as a “Line Runner”, where he marks off sections of forest to be harvested. He is currently living in Fauquier and enjoys life and the great outdoors of northern Ontario. Pierre has been a member of Kapuskasing Legion Branch 85 for eighteen years. SOCHA, Stanley “Stan” Stan was born on April 27, 1918 in Lwów, Poland. He enlisted on September 1938 and flew Spitfire planes for the Polish Air Force. When the Nazi’s annexed Poland, Stan fled with his crew to France. He joined the French Air Force and flew the same fighter plane for them. When the fall of France became imminent, Stan fled to England where he again joined that country’s Air Force. He proudly maintains his full dress RAF uniform adorned with numerous medals and awards and just as proudly displays the ‘Polish Division’ badge on the shoulder. Stan’s story, now in publication, is set for release soon. He has been a member of Gravenhurst Legion Branch 302 for six years.
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