REMEMBERS T I L L S O N B U R G As the last World War II veterans pass on, a new generation is rising to tell their stories.
A t 35 years of age, Jason Pankratz isn’t your typical Legion executive member. For one thing, he isn’t retired. For another, he’s never served in the Canadian Forces. Ditto for growing up on a military base. So how did he come to be first vice-president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 153? Plain and simple, he loves history. Like so many students who grew up in Tillsonburg during the 1990s, Pankratz fell in love with Canadi- an history as a result of legendary
Glendale High School history teach- er, Robin Barker-James. “Robin made all of history come alive, but he was especially passion- ate about remembrance,” says Pan- kratz. “I think every student who ever sat in his classroom came away with a deep sense of gratitude for the sacrifices made by their grand- parents and great-grandparents.” Barker-James passed away sud- denly on April 21, 2015, and the community is still mourning the loss of the enigmatic educator.
“Robin was a natural teacher,” says Pankratz. “So many of us went on to study history in university and get engaged in community groups and causes because of him.” Among Barker-James’ many no- table accomplishments was turning his Tillsonburg area farm into a liv- ing history centre, complete with a World War I trench-system and field hospital. Thousands of students ex- perienced simulations at the site, and his unique teaching style earned him national attention including
Members of the Tillsonburg Military History Club with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds in 2012.
Br. 153 First Vice-President Jason Pankratz
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