Villanova students make pilgrimage to Vimy Ridge
By Bill Rea

Carolyn Hillar, Fernando Caravaggio and Nicole Duncan were among the St. Thomas of Villanova College who attented the recent ceremonies marking the 90th anniversary of the battle at Vimy Ridge.

The recent ceremonies to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle at Vimy Ridge attracted many Canadians, including a local contingent.

There were 22 students and three chaperones from St. Thomas of Villanova College near King City.

Most of the students selected to go are in Grade 12 history courses. One of them, Fernando Caravaggio, said they were given some priority because they would have studied the events at and surrounding Vimy, "people who had familiarity with the subject," he said.

While they were familiar with the subject, there's nothing like being there.

"It was better than I thought it would be," commented Carolyn Hillar, who pointed out they were among some 5,000 Canadians who made the trip.

Caravaggio added these people came from all over the country, to be part of commemorating a special moment in Canadian history.

The St. Thomas of Villanova College contingent is seen at the graves of some of the Canadians who fell at Vimy Ridge. The students and chaperones were attending the anniversary observances of the battle

"Our nation was born in that soil, so far from home," he commented.

They left April 4 and returned April 12. They spent the first two days in London, then travelled to various places in France, including Normandy and Juno Beach before getting to Vimy. They wound the trip up with two days in Paris.

"We went to the tourist sites, like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame," Caravaggio said.

Nicole Duncan added they were able to get to many of the places of note in London, such as Westminster, the Imperial War Museum and the Cabinet War Room.

Not everything they saw was directly related to war. Duncan said they also went to the Caen Memorial in Normandy, which is known as the Peace museum.

When it came to the ceremonies at Vimy, Duncan said she was struck by the emotion of so many Canadian youth who were moved by what the soldiers had done 90 years before.

Hillar said she felt "a huge sense of pride."

Duncan added the Canadian Memorial at Vimy was re-dedicated at the ceremony, attended by the Queen and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"It was rededicated to us," she said. "It was rededicated to the Canadian youth."

Caravaggio also recalled the Canadians were given a standing ovation by the local residents as they left.

"They really like Canadians down there," he said. "They're very grateful."

"There are thousands and thousands of our soldiers still lying in their ground," he added.

Student groups attending the Vimy ceremonies were assigned one soldier who fell in the battle. The Villanova group's soldier was Private James Wilson Fox, of the 1st Canadian Machine Gun Corp. He was from Stratford and was 18 when he died. Duncan recalled the group said prayers and left a candle at his grave.

Hillar said the battle marked the first time Canadians were under one command in the war.

"It was the single greatest accomplishment of the allied forces," Caravaggio added, pointing out both the French and British had tried to take the ridge. "Canadians succeeded where they had failed."

Duncan added it was more impressive when one considers it was major powers that failed to take the ridge, and it was soldiers from a country that was just emerging that got the job done.

Hillar said her main memory came when the Canadian young people were called upon to line up before the ceremonies, and they found they had a bit of time to kill.

"Five thousand kids, all doing this wave," she recalled. "I've never felt anything like it before."

Duncan said she'll remember going to the war museums and seeing numerous artifacts before travelling to Vimy. "We got to live it first-hand," she said.

"Just standing side-byside with so many Canadians, who all had their Canadian bandannas and breaking out into O Canada," was what Caravaggio said he'd remember.

April in France proved to be pretty nice, weather wise.

"I don't think it rained once," Duncan said. "There was hardly a cloud in the sky."

While they were put up in hotels, the young folks said they didn't sample the night life much. "We were all really tired," Duncan said.

"The night life was pretty much visiting other Canadians in the hotel," Caravaggio added.

"I think we're all anxious to go back," Duncan said.