If there is one thing the people who originally came from the Argentia area are good at, it is remembering their former home and trying to spread the word about the sacrifices of many people who once lived there.
Recently a group of former residents commemorated the 70 years since the US Military appropriated the land for an American base at that location.
It is a sacrifice made by a number of families, many of whom moved close by to Freshwater and Jerseyside, where they eventually settled. They settled but they never forgot.
The memory of the towns that once were situated on that land is difficult to let go of for many individuals and families.
While there may be plenty of contentious issues related to this story, it is a story not that widely known around the province.
There are many of us who go through the entire school system in this province and never really learn that nearly 500 families were asked to move away from their homes, to give up all that was near and dear to them for an increased US presence in the area during the lead up to World War II.
A good website to check out if one is interested is Mr. Ed Lake’s www.argentia.org website. He regularly posts interesting articles and stories about the base and is in contact with numerous people who passed through there when the base was operational.
He also has an immense archive on all things Argentia, and so with people like him, and the people who lived in Argentia and their families are working hard to keep their story alive, to let the world know what happened in this tiny parcel of land, not that long ago.
It is a gripping story of small-town people caught up in the context of a world war about to rage.
There have also been a number of books written about Argentia, and whether one accepts all written and said as gospel or not, it is an interesting topic, one which still affects many people in and around the Placentia area today.
Do yourself a favour and learn more about the people and the history of this charming little spot of real estate. You will be glad for the additional knowledge.
Elizabeth MacDonald, Editor, The Charter
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