This story is a part of Branch 25’s on-going National Legion Week campaign.

Branch 25 (San Francisco) of the Royal Canadian Legion holds three formal Remembrance services each year.

As a US-based branch, the first service that is held each year is an annual Memorial Day service at the Royal Canadian Legion plot in Greenlawn Memorial Park in Colma, CA.  The service is usually held on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, depending on the availability of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) Arkansas Division (who support all of our services).  Generally speaking, the Legion hosts our USNSCC Arkansas Division cadets, along with friends and family, for a small reception immediately following.  More information can be found here.

The second service that is held each year began out of necessity during the pandemic, when the branch hosted a Commemoration Day Virtual Service on 01 July 2020.  You see the first of July 1916 was the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, when 806 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment climbed out of their trenches and went “over the top” at 8:45am as part of the battle of Beaumont-Hamel. In less than an hour, the regiment was devastated, most killed or wounded within the first 20 minutes of the battle. The next morning, only 68 soldiers answered the roll call. Each year since 2020 Branch 25 has continued to plan and stream online their annual Commemoration Day Virtual Service on the morning of 01 July.  As a virtual event, this service provides an opportunity for our members who are not in the Bay Area or have difficulty traveling to our other event an opportunity to get involved in the branch from the comfort of their own home.  More information can be found here.

The third service that Branch 25 holds each year is an annual Remembrance Day Service at Liberty Cemetery in Petaluma, CA.  To accommodate our USNSCC Arkansas Division cadets and the reality that most school systems do not close on Veterans Day, the service is held around 11am on the Saturday before 11 November (unless 11 November falls on a Saturday).  Following the service there is generally a no host lunch that all are invited to attend.  More information can be found here.

Finally, Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion also regularly participates other remembrance activities related to Commonwealth veteran organizations or services.  For example, the branch has been involved for many years in the annual ANZAC Day commemoration ceremonies organized by the Australian American Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand American Association of San Francisco.  While April 25th 1915 is traditionally seen in Australia and New Zealand as the defining event that shaped both nations futures, we also reflect on the other nations involved in the failed Gallipoli campaign. There were 115,000 British and Dominion troops and 27,000 French killed in action or wounded in this futile attempt to gain access to the Dardanelles.  The connection with Canada is a strong one as the Newfoundland regiment fought alongside their ANZAC comrades from Sept of 1915 until the withdrawal of Allied troops in January 1916. While not yet part of Canada at the time, the Newfoundlanders were amongst the first to volunteer for Britain in the First World War.  We lay a wreath on behalf of the Legion and our President gives a short speech acknowledging the connection with Canada and our remembrance of all who served.

Trevor Page, Sergeant-at-Arms
Branch 25 (San Francisco)