Dear Editor;
I am a Member of The War Amps Operation Legacy, in which members and graduates of the Association’s Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program help to pass the NEVER AGAIN!, message from war amputee veterans to the younger generation.
With the coming D-Day anniversary on June 6th, I would like to advise of a new documentary about a Canadian hero, Jeff Nicklin.
A Winnipeg Blue Bombers all-star and part of its Grey Cup victories in 1935 and 1939, Jeff Nicklin enlisted with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in World War II. He transferred to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and became Commanding Officer. One of the first to land on D-Day, he earned a Mention in Despatches, a military award for gallantry. He was killed in action while leading his paratroopers on the drop into the Rhineland on March 24, 1945.
After the war, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Association created the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy, awarded annually by the Canadian Football League to the West’s most outstanding player. Sixty years later, the Association, The War Amps and the CFL had the trophy re-dedicated.
Jeff Nicklin: Hero of the Gridiron and the Battlefield is part of The War Amps award-winning Military Heritage Documentary Series. It contains seldom-seen football footage of the 1930’s and rare wartime images. Also featured is an interview with War Amps CEO Cliff Chadderton, who talks about his friend Jeff Nicklin.
A winner at international film festivals in Houston, New York and Hollywood, it will be airing nationally on CPAC in early June (check local listings) or can be ordered from The War Amps at a cost-recovery price of $11 by calling 1 800 250-3030 or visiting www.waramps.ca.
Annae Jones
Operation Legacy Representative for Alberta
Calgary, Alta.