Fallen Heroes: Their journey Home
By Chief Warrant Officer (retired) Mike Gauley, Sedalia, AB
A few years ago, my wife Laura and I hosted a film team at our farm near Sedalia, AB. The team was from The Military Museums in Calgary, and they were on a mission to film some of our beautiful prairies and what better location exists than Palliser’s Triangle. The story they want to tell is a Canadian story that they feared would otherwise be lost like so many other Canadian stories. The story begins with the attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001, but it was the stories that touched so many Canadians that compelled them to make a film so that all Canadians could know what they already knew.
The PG-14 rated film was released on 11 September 2024 in Landmark Theatres across Canada. Most shows sold out immediately. Released during the time that most people in our area are fully engaged with harvest and supporting those who are tirelessly working the fields, the prospects of a meaningful release on the same date in our area would have missed the mark.
Thankfully, Sunset Theatres in Kindersley, SK through the dedicated work of Kindersley Screen Arts have scheduled the film to show in our area, on the most appropriate date of 11 November at 7:00 pm. You will recognize our area and maybe perhaps a name or two in the credits.
Senator Marty Klyne attended the 11 September showing of the film in Regina and when he returned to the Senate, he felt duty-bound to have the film shown in Ottawa to which many who saw it stated “every Canadian needs to see this.”
In April of this year, the premier of the film was held in St Albert, AB. A full house contained Veterans and active-duty soldiers with their spouses, some of the Veterans were wheelchair-bound while others managed with visible and invisible wounds. With so much hard bark on these battle-hardened souls, there was not a dry eye in the room during many parts of the film.
The film tells the story of Canada’s fallen, some of the battles in which they perished, and their solemn homecoming. It talks about the how Canadians shared in grieving and how they were drawn to mourn with the families of the fallen by gathering along the Highway of Heroes. The families of the fallen articulate their heart break as do some of our most senior military leaders - but there is more content than I can describe in this article.
After serving in our military for 35 years as a proud Canadian, I see the film comes at a time when Canadian esteem is starved to hear of our goodness, our many honourable qualities, and our dignity. The sacrifices of Canadians in the cause of freedom at home and abroad make us worthy to embrace this touching Canadian story.