Honoring our heroes: Radville's stirring tribute to veterans

Tourism Radville pays tribute to veterans through its 'Stories in Stone Tour', an annual commemoration of the brave Canadian heroes who dedicated themselves to serving their nation. Sue Nimegeers, a prominent member of Tourism Radville, provides insights into the event's particulars. 

“On Sunday afternoon we gather at the museum here in Radville. We'll drive out to our cemetery. We have a narrator, Bea Gilmore, she does a really good job telling stories of our local servicemen, veterans, and fallen soldiers from both World War 1-2, and we have one from even Afghanistan. We tell a story at each grave telling stories about the ones that gave their lives for our country.” 

Bea Gilmore narrates the Stories in Stone Military Tour, photo courtesy of Tourism Radville

 

According to Nimegeers, the annual tour undergoes changes, and this year it will feature the fascinating tale of fallen veteran, Corporal Lawrence Robidoux. Born in 1928, Robidoux resided in Radville with his family until 1948, when his father Joseph relocated the family to the United States. At the age of 19, Lawrence joined the U.S. Army and enlisted in Company B, 1st Battalion of the 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, stationed initially in Japan. When the Korean War erupted in June 1950, the troops stationed in Japan were among the first to be deployed into the conflict. 

In November of 1950, B Company faced an assault from the Chinese forces, leading to Lawrence Robidoux and 77 others being officially declared as Missing in Action. Subsequent investigations revealed that he was held captive in a North Korean POW camp, where he passed away in May 1951 due to malnutrition and exposure. Testimony from a cluster of repatriated POWs affirmed his presence at Prison Camp 5. However, U.S. authorities concluded in 1956 that his remains were unfeasible to retrieve. 

Over the years, Robidoux's family made persistent efforts to uncover information regarding his burial site. In 2018, several remains were moved to Hawaii where a series of exhumations took place with subsequent testing conducted to establish the identities of the remains. Ultimately, on January 24 of this year, the family received the news that DNA testing had conclusively identified his remains. 

Approximately seventy years after his death, Robidoux's family achieved a sense of closure when his remains were laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on October 13, 2023, with full military honors. 

To join the captivating Stories in Stone Tour, attendees are welcome to meet at the Radville Museum at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, November 5th. The tour will begin at 2 p.m. The cost is $10 per person. 

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