Below are the biographies of William (Bill) Wetaski, George Markewich and Spiros (Sam) Marinos, who appear on the flags. The information comes from the City of Moose Jaw website.
This is part 7 of 8 in a series.
William (Bill) Wetaski
Bill Wetaski was born in Moose Jaw on Feb. 7, 1917, and attended Westmount School. He worked for the C.P.R. from June 1940 until he enlisted in the Canadian Army on Nov. 6, 1941, in Moosomin.
Bill’s unit was the Light 101st Anti-Aircraft Battery, where he was trained as a gunner. He was deployed overseas to France, where he was wounded in action. Dr. Arthur Young from Moose Jaw saved Bill’s life and sent him to England, where he spent 13 months in hospital recovering from his wounds.
After being honourably discharged on Feb. 21, 1946, he started working again for the C.P.R. in Moose Jaw in September 1946 until his retirement on July 10, 1978. Bill met and married Olga Keveryga in November 1947 and raised three children.
Bill belonged to the Elks Club, Canadian Legion, Local 502 U.T.U., Cosmos Club and the Army and Navy Veterans. He died on March 5, 1987, and is resting in Rosedale Cemetery.
The medals he earned were the 1939-1945 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, the War Medal 1939-1945 and the Defence Medal.
George Markewich
George (L108544) was born on Jan. 24, 1923, and was raised and lived in Moose Jaw until his death on May 24, 1995.
George enlisted at age 21 as a mechanist helper in Regina on March 23, 1944. He completed his basic training on June 9 in Shilo, Man., and his secondary training on Aug. 29. He then completed his Canadian parachute training on Sept. 13, 1944.
George then volunteered for the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and was sent to Ringway, Manchester, England. On March 24, 1945, his battalion parachuted across the Rhine River in the largest airborne concentration of the war during Operation Varsity Drop.
It was then that Winston Churchill ordered the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and the Royal Scot Greys (British Army) to march across Germany to secure the port town of Wismar on the Baltic Sea just hours ahead of the Russian troops, stopping them from taking over the Baltic Sea ports.
At the end of the war, George’s battalion returned to Canada in June after being royally inspected by Princess Elizabeth. The battalion disbanded on Sept. 30, 1945.
Upon George’s return to Moose Jaw, he married Catherine Stephen, and they raised four children. There is a mountain dedicated to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, the Ex Coelis Mountain monument, which is located near Siffleur Falls north of Banff National Park. Ex Coelis means “above the clouds,” which is fitting for the paratroopers.
The medals he earned were the France and Germany Star and the Canadian Volunteer Service.
Spiros (Sam) Marinos
Spiros Marinos was born in 1891 in Yeleni, Peloponnese, Greece. At age 18, Spiros travelled to Canada with his dad. The two headed west to Moose Jaw and its large Greek community.
After two years in Canada, Spiros’ dad returned to Greece. Spiros chose to stay, much to the dismay of his mother, Ibios, saying she would never see her son again, a prediction that sadly came true.
Between 1920 and 1940, Spiros owned and operated three businesses in Moose Jaw: the Modern Grocerteria Store, the Union Fruit Store, and Sam’s Inn.
On July 18, 1923, Spiros married Margaret Fraser Houston, and they raised two sons, Gavin and Grant. At age 93, Grant is the last surviving immediate family member.
In 1938, Spiros was elected president of the Moose Jaw Chapter of the AHEPA (Anglo-Hellenic Educational Progressive Society). AHEPA’s mission promotes the ancient Hellenic ideals of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism.
In 1939, Spiros joined the King’s Own Rifles of Canada (KORC) militia as a cook. The KORC was a primary reserve armoured regiment of the Canadian Army, whose obligation was to assist the regular force in meeting its military commitments.
Spiros was a corporal in the KORC when he died on Nov. 16, 1945, at age 54. Spiros was buried in the military section of the Moose Jaw Rosedale Cemetery, which was designated for those who served in the KORC.
