While his military career was short, Bill Spooner has been actively contributing to the lives of veterans for most of his life.
Spooner came to the valley from east of Consort as a young man to work in the mines. He joined the service in 1940 eager to join the forces fighting in Europe. However, problems with his feet saw him discharged in 1942.
“I wanted to go, I had a lot of friends over there fighting,” he said.
Through his work, he made a contribution to the war effort, as all miners did, powering the machinery of industry that supported the men and women serving overseas.
He left the mines and went back to his roots farming. A strong baseball player he was on some of the top teams in the valley including the Hygrade Commanders.
One day in 1950, he was approached to join the Legion and he signed right on. Today he is the longest serving member of the Drumheller branch.
As a farmer, he would come into town on the weekend and the Legion was a gathering place for him and his wife to socialize. It was also an organization that supported those who served in the military, and he felt strongly about showing that support.
It wasn’t long before he became more involved. He served on all positions on the executive, and a number of committees including entertainment. He also served as Sergeant at Arms. One highlight for him was parading. He took pride in the colour guard and marched at all the special occasions.
One memory he has is in the mid 60’s when the legion expanded its facility. Every weekend he was on site prepping the land and cribbing the foundation in preparation for cement. It was a busy year, but it was done.
One thing that Spooner always felt strong about was the Remembrance Day ceremonies. In is tenure with Legion he has attended on every Remembrance Day to pay respect for those who gave their life for freedom.
Spooner will be 91 in a few short days. In his life, he raised four children, an active part of the community serving with the Legion as well as other service groups, and this Thursday, he will be at Drumheller Composite High School to take in the Remembrance Day Ceremonies.