PARKING SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL OR NOT USED STORY MATERIALS

Grouchy Staff Sergeart Mystery

It happened that he aged and found himself alone, poor and destitute. He had not a dime to bury himself.

There may be a lesson here for all of us. Allow your daughter to follow her heart.

It is widely known by readers that my wife is a teacher -- not an average teacher, but a high school expert in Roman and Greek history, physics and less complex sciences, math, world languages, comparitive religions, French plus English literature up to the middle of the last century. She sometimes get discouraged and tells me that a high persentage of students will graduate from high school in 2013 without the skill to correctly write a short, well thought out paragraph in English.

My response, as usual, is not too surprising because my thesis, over and over again, is that education standards in Canada have not changed in meaningful ways or kept up to the pace of today's fast, hormonal replaced, growing, super charged, super sized, selfish, all about me, mindless, over loaded Apple, technicallly mindless, listening dead, hostile, under challenged, been given everything, unappreciative, no time for adult, evolving children.

So, given the dismal news, by my wife, about the calibre of about to graduate kids, is it any wonder, I thought, that a spelling error was noted on the Sergeant Major's grave marker? But, I digress. Mysteries again are to blame.

Reg.# 10111, Corporal J. H. A. 'Art' Gahagan was born in Quinville, QC in 1900. He joined the Force in 1925. After training, his Troop was sent to Ottawa and Corporal Gahagan spent his career on Federal duties in the Ottawa area. His work was varied and it depended on which events had been approved for the day. His duties included; the protection of federal property, escorting dignitaries on their visit to Ottawa, traffic control at Parades on or near Parliament Hill and motorcycle duties.

After a twenty five year career with the Force, Corporal Gahagan retired. He joined the Corps of Commissionaires in Ottawa for another career along with some of his friends.

Corporal Gahagan and his wife had four children all of whom went on to further studies. Their son, Rev. Gerald Ganagan could recall vivid memories for me about his father especially leaving home for work in the morning in RCMP garb. Father Gahagan recalled a humourous incident at home.

In the good weather, his mother and father would sit on their front veranda on McLeod St. in Ottawa. Not long afterwards, a poor man or woman would pass their home. More often than not the person in need would ask for a sandwich. Over time, Mrs Gahagan had become accustomed to these requests for food so she prepared a few snacks early each day so that she would be ready to sit with her husband (Corporal Gahagan) on the veranda after he returned home from his police duties.

Sometimes, Corporal Gahagan would come home from work a few minutes late and this habit caused Mrs Gahagan anxiety. The reason?

Corporal Gahagan wore his RCMP uniform to a from work. Mrs Gahagan was afraid that her needy 'visitors' would be frightened by the presence of her husband in uniform. So, when he arrived home, he was wisked into his room to change out of his uniform and don 'normal' clothes. In this fashion, Mrs Gahagan could leisurely talk with the needy while passing out much appreciated food.

Corporal Ganagan's retirement date from the Corps of Commissionaires was May 7th, 1973. On that day, after his usual shift, he suffered a heart attack on the street while walking home. He died in 1973 on his retirement date.

Prior to his death in Ottawa a few years ago, their son Rev. Gerald Gahagan, wrote a Memorial Prayer to his parents at my request.

Father Gahagan gave me his Memorial Prayer for publication. He is buried with his parents in Notre Dame Cemetery, Ottawa

Ce sont ses membres qui ont fait la renommée dont jouit la GRC, certains au prix de leur vie lors de l’exercice de leurs fonctions. D’autres ont terminé leur carrière, ont pris leur retraite et sont décédés alors qu’ils avaient joint les rangs des anciens de la GRC. La GRC s’est engagée à honorer la mémoire de tous ses membres décédés.

Je tiens à féliciter tous nos anciens membres qui se sont intéressés aux sépultures de nos membres décédés et qui veillent à ce qu’elles soient régulièrement inspectées et entretenues comme il se doit.

Traduit avec l'aimable autorisation du commissaire: 11/08/2010

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'Originals' of the March West Under Grave Review.

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CANADA

RCMP/GRC CHAPEL

RCMP POLICY

• I. Burials at 'Depot' Division

• II. Regimental and Non-Regimental Grave Markers

• III. RCMP Division Contacts for Headstones and Markers

I. Burials at 'Depot' Division

Toronto Vet. Jack O'Reilly explored the following 'Depot' policy issues which are worthy of publication.

Principle Contact @ 'Depot': Chaplain Rev. Jean Morisset at Regina Office:(306)780-7848
or Cell Phone: (306)502-1170

For a deceased RCMP member to be entitled to a burial at 'Depot' (OR) to have access to entitlements at public expense the key word is: 'retired'...

(A) "...the former member must have 'retired'. The word 'retired' means that the deceased member must have left the Force with an immediate annuity (pension) or have received an annual allowance as prescribed under RCMP Financial Acts and Regulations, or

(B) "...unless the member died while in service.

Again, there is no Force policy allowing the RCMP to pay for grave markers for people who were in the RCMP for a short period of time and left the Force with no pension.

The RCMP can only authorize payment of grave markers, requested by family members, for those members who 'retired' with a pension.

POLICY REVISION:

RCMP members who retired and had commenced receiving a pension, and then were re-employed elsewhere and surrendered his/her first pension, do not lose their entitlement for burial at 'Depot'.

Details hereunder were kindly provided by 'Depot's Chaplaincy Service.

(a) As a regular part of your estate planning, it is recommended that you discuss burial entitlements with the RCMP Compensation Branch in your locale.

(b) Advance reservations for a burial plot at 'Depot' are not necessary since there is ample space for burials for many, many years.

Coordination for the date and time of the internment service in the Chapel can be made with the 'Depot' Chaplain who will reserve it. For burial service arrangements call Chaplain Rev. Jean Morisset at Office:(306)780-7848 or Cell Phone: (306)502-1170. He will send you a funeral booking form plus helpful information.

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II. Regimental Markers - Policy - Two options

The RCMP will pay for the manufacture, transportation and placement of:

OPTION ONE: A Regimental headstone or marker, (only) if the burial takes place in Canada;
(photo examples below)

or

OPTION TWO: A Non-Regimental headstone, custom made or a specially designed marker which is a preferred choice by the member of the family. Under this option, a maximum of $220, will be paid to the estate by the RCMP if: a) there is a reference (ie: Crest of the Force) on the headstone or b) there is some mention of the member's service in the RCMP.

REGIMENTAL HEADSTONE 'TRADITIONAL UPRIGHT' STYLE

FLAT BRASS REGIMENTAL STYLE

III. RCMP Contacts for Headstones and Markers

Contacts hereunder were kindly provided by Vet. Dick Hawkins and I express my thanks to him. Revised: October 1, 2011

RCMP 'HQ', 73 Leikin Drive, M5, 1st Floor 502-02, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R2 ATTN: Shauna Fortier, Telephone (613) 843-6570.

RCMP, “A”, Division - 110 Place D' Orléans , Ottawa , Ontario K1A 0R2 Attention: Valérie Leonard , Administrative Services - Téléphone (613) 590 1706.

GRC “A”, Services Administratif - 110 Place D' Orléans , Ottawa , Ontario K1A 0R2 Attention: Valérie Leonard, Administrative Services - Téléphone (613) 590-1706.

RCMP, “O” Division - 130 Dufferin Avenue , London , Ontario N6A 4K3 Attention: Joanne Preston, Administrative Services - Téléphone (519) 645-3877

RCMP, “C" Division, 4225 Dorchester Blvd. W., Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 1V5, Attention: Lise Provencal Administrative Services, telephone (514) 939-8302

GRC « C », Services Administratif, 4225 Dorchester Blvd. W., Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 1V5, Att: Lise Provencal- Téléphone (514) 939-8302

RCMP, "D" Division, P.O. Box 5650, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 3K2, Attention: Cecile Lafreniere, Compensation Section, (204) 984-4465

RCMP, "E" Division, 657 W 37th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1K6, Attention: Lucille Simard, Administrative Coordinator Compensation Section, (604) 264-2772

RCMP "G" and "K" Division, 11140-109 St. Edmonton, AB T5G 2T4 Attention: Bob Harper M/EAP Referral, Telephone (780) 717-7903

RCMP, "F" Division, 6101 Dewdney Ave., Bag 2500, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 3K7, Attention: Cheryl Runge Compensation Section, (306) 780-5765.

RCMP Atlantic Region, (B, J, L, H Divisions)

P.O. Box 2286, Halifax, N.S., B3J 3E1, Supt. Jean-Michel Blais, Internal, Employee and Management Relations, (902) 426-0764. Admin Assistant,Stefanie Covey.

GRC, Région d’ Atlantique, (B,J,L,H Divisions) boîte postale 2286, Halifax, N.E., B3J 3E1,

ATT: Supt. Jean-Michel Blais , Officier Responsable des Services du Soutien Interne, (902)426-8599. Admin Assistant,Stefanie Covey.

RCMP, "M" Division, 4100 - 4th Avenue, Whitehorse, Y.T., Y1A 1H5, Attention: Compensation Section, (867) 633-8628. = “E” Division

Reporting from the Fort,

I have the honour to be,
Your Obedient Servant, Sir
J. J. (Buffalo Joe) Healy

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