By Sheila Phibbs
The Haldimand Press
JARVIS—As Remembrance Day approaches, Jarvis is again honouring local veterans with a banner display in the downtown core. Among the honourees is a group of young men who grew up together, went to church together, and, as the story goes, enlisted together for WWI. Collectively they are known as “The Garnet Boys”.
John Hamilton ‘Juney’ Close, one of The Garnet Boys, who served together in WW2.
The 11 Garnet Boys signed up at a recruitment drive at Garnet United Church. They included Cecil Walter Beckerson, Joseph Chapman, John Hamilton Close, Charles Edward Harrop, John William Ledbetter, Clair Audrey Parkinson, William Ivan Parkinson, Thomas Oral Phibbs, Allan James Phillips, John William Phillips, and William Wallace Roulston.
Several members of the Close family gathered when the banners were installed in Jarvis, sharing stories and special memories. John Hamilton ‘Juney’ Close lost his parents at a young age and came to Garnet in 1913 to live with his grandparents, Sam and Addie Cherry. His younger brother was sent to live with relatives in Toronto. It was just three years later that he enlisted in the war.
Following the war, he returned to Garnet and worked on his uncle Ham Cherry’s farm. Because he and his uncle shared the nickname Hamie, he was dubbed Junior, which eventually became Juney. He courted and married Olive Brown Parkinson (her brother, Ivan, was also a Garnet Boy) and they had four daughters – Margaret Jane, Kathleen (Kaye) Olive, Lorraine Caroline, and Jean Anne. The sisters were the ‘girlies’ and he was daddy.
According to Lorraine, the sole remaining girlie, she and her sisters did not know much about his military service growing up. She says, “When we were young, we heard the funny stories.” One such tale involved Garnet Boy Thomas Phibbs, who didn’t always march in step during training; if they were ordered to change steps the commander would say, “Except Phibbs.”
Lorraine says they heard the sadder stories when they were older. Her father described the first battle as “just shooting and noise. It was just horrendous.” He explained that every soldier had a “buddy” with whom they shared blankets and food. His buddy was killed in that first battle and she says there was never a day that he didn’t think of him.
Juney’s military stories also told of his leadership and kindness to others. He was awarded a medal for bravery for what he called “being stubborn”. It was during battle in Arras, while surrounded and cut off, with officers killed and the sergeant wounded, that he refused to surrender but led the way out with nine following, crawling through a cornfield. One soldier was wounded and taken prisoner; Juney regretted not knowing he was wounded or he would have gone back for him.
Another story told of a soldier who had a smaller man in tears on a truck ride to a battlefield. Lorraine says, “Daddy said that nobody was saying anything. Daddy went over and told the bully to take his seat and if he had anything more to say, say it to him. Daddy did not like bullies.”
Juney visited the Dury Canadian Memorial in France in 1992 to attend ceremonies for the 75th anniversary of Vimy Ridge.
In a similar incident, Juney intervened when no one in his unit would make room in their tents for a soldier with a bad complexion. True to his nature, Juney invited the soldier into the tent he was sharing. It was a fortuitous decision, as a doctor later mistook the acne for measles and everyone in their tent was quarantined, thereby missing some serious battles.
Lorraine’s son Charlie smiles after telling this saying, “He liked sharing the funny stories.” He recalls his grandfather reflecting on his war experiences, “He said in the war that he figured he’d lived a charmed life.”
However, he witnessed and endured many atrocities and Lorraine says, “There was a lot of sorrow but it made him stronger. He told us it doesn’t matter what’s going on, trauma or joy, you learn from the experience. Daddy learned that from losing his parents.”
Being separated from his brother as a youth also impacted Juney and he knew that he never wanted the same to happen to his own children. Before Olive passed away from cancer, Juney vowed to keep their young daughters together. Lorraine says that her father told them, “A vow is stronger than a promise.”
Margaret’s daughter, Charlene, describes her grandfather as “an extraordinary man who raised his four girlies basically on his own after the death of his dear OB.” She and her sisters, Brenda, Margie and Wendy, remember him as non-judgemental with a quiet wisdom. He never got angry or raised his voice, though they would occasionally hear “Great Scott!” if the hay wagon was dumped or some other mischief occurred. Lorraine’s daughter, Barbie, affectionately says, “I remember his hugs.”
Charlene adds, “He wasn’t a boastful man. His memory was wonderful from beginning to end.” In his later years, Juney shared his military stories with local groups and various reporters, serving as a link between the present and the past. In 1992 he returned to France with his daughter, Margaret, for the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Charlene says, “This was monumental for Grandpa and such an absolute honour for mom to accompany her daddy!”
JARVIS—Lorraine McCarthy (centre, white top) is surrounded by members of the Close family below the banner of her father, John Hamilton ‘Juney’ Close. —Haldimand Press photo by Sheila Phibbs.
With great admiration Brenda says, “Grandpa was larger than life. I have huge respect for the man.” This sentiment is shared by all of Juney Close’s family. Charlene aptly says, “Grandpa Juney was a quiet-spoken, compassionate man who adored his family.”
His approach to life was guided by faith as he wrote in a notebook: “Scripture is like food in that it is not the quantity, but how well we digest it, that we find light and strength to solve life’s problems.”
All of “The Garnet Boys” are remembered at Garnet United Church where their names are listed on a scroll of members who died or served in the wars.
Charles Edward Harrop was the only one of the 11 who died in the war. His name is engraved on a memorial plaque that hangs in the church.
