CURRIE

Strathroy area fans plan to honour

First World War hero with statue!

Fans working to erect a statue in honour of Strathroy-raised war hero General Sir Arthur Currie are approaching their task the same way Currie approached warring: methodically and with determination. "One thing Currie used to say was, "I'm not brilliant, but I'm determined," says John P. Sargeant, vice-chairperson of the Currie monument committee.

The committee's aim is to raise as much as $85,000 for a life-sized bronze or stone sculpture of Currie in the community where he was born and raised. Strathroy-Caradoc and the Sir Arthur Currie branch of the Royal Canadian Legion is Strathroy have each donated $1,000 to the cause, while several hundred dollars in private donations have come to the registered charity. The committee hopes to have the work done by November 11, 2010. Sargeant said 2010 is also the 150th anniversary of the founding of Strathroy.

Currie, who died in 1933, was the first Canadian commander in World War I. Considered one of the finest Canadian generals ever, Currie was pivotal in making Canadians a force to be reckoned with.

Renowned for his strategic approach to battle - he was first to make sure every soldier knew the objective, in an age when only officers were usually made privy to that information - Currie rose to NUMBER 24 on a recent poll of 100 most influential Canadians.

Currie wasn't a brilliant tactician, although he knew which battle strategies to adopt for which situations. He cared deeply about the welfare of the men under his command and they respected him in return, although he was not naturally charismatic. He deflected praise for First World War victory to his soldiers at Vimy Ridge and accepted his duty at Passchendaele - both battles where Canadians fought with nation-building distinction - even though he knew it would result in many deaths.

Organizers are planning a fund-raising dine-in mess dinner in Mt. Brydges on May 1, 2010, with Great War historian and author Tim Cook as guest speaker. Find more information at: http://curriememorialproject.tripod.com/

(EDITOR'S NOTES: On the DOCUMENTARY channel, I recently viewed a documentary on the U.S. army's contributions in World War I. According to the film, the US had more soldiers in the field than Canada; they took fewer prisoners; they had a higher rate of wounded and dead than Canada; they took part in fewer major battles.)