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Finn Campbell, a student at Kelowna Christian School will be honoured with a national award on June 28, at the Kelowna Legion Branch.
The grade nine student finished first in the province in the Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day writing contest back in February, but recently found out he placed second on the federal scale.
Campbell's piece was based on his great-great grandfather's harsh experiences at Vimy Ridge, the Somme and Passchendaele.
This isn’t the first time Campbell has received an award from the Royal Canadian Legion, in 2021 he placed second in the province by writing about his great-great uncle's experience in World War II in Italy.
The youngster is grateful to share his family's story and was fortunate enough to visit Vimy Ridge, Beaumont Hamel and the Somme this past summer.
“Knowing that so many friends fought together, only a little older than me and died in such a short amount of time at Beaumont Hamel was very hard to process; it is so sad,” said Campbell.
“Also, driving through the Somme and seeing thousands of graves for hundreds of km along the roads reminded me of the great loss that so many families experienced. On one day alone, 20,000 British soldiers died in battle. I can share the stories of only one soldier, but so many more stories need to be told."
Finn’s father, Mike Campbell applauds the local legion branch for their fantastic work in creating awareness through this contest.
When Finn discovered he was recognized on the national scale, he was eager to share his story with members of the legion.
"The people at the Legion make me feel like family; they are always so excited about our writing and our art, they care about me,” Campbell added.
“I hope to have many meals at the legion with them, and I want to thank them all for letting me share my stories."
Campbell’s piece will be displayed in the foyer of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa during the annual Remembrance period in November.
Read his essay here, along with a number of other students across the country who were honoured in the literacy contest.
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