Skip to content

Huntington President helping military artifacts find their way home

Project Honour & Preserve expanding to United States and UK

Project Honour and Preserve, a national initiative founded by Sudbury's Kevin McCormick, is set to expand internationally to include the United States and much of the United Kingdom.   

In November 2011 McCormick, President and Vice-Chancellor of Huntington University was named by the Minister of National Defence as the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Irish Regiment of Canada. 

In that role, HLCol McCormick initiated and personally funded Project Honour and Preserve to raise awareness of the sacrifices and contributions made by Canadian Veterans while bringing public attention to important dates in Canadian Military history.

"What's happening is I'm acquiring artifacts from our allies and locating them in museums throughout the United Kingdom and in the United States," said McCormick.

The University President doesn't consider himself a collector of artifacts, but rather a proud supporter of the armed forces who wants to see to to it that these artifacts end up in the proper hands.

"I locate an item and when I do I like to find the best place for them, or I like to think of it as a home; whether it's a regimental museum, a veterans' association, or the family of an individual that the artifact belonged to."
 
Through Project Honour and Preserve, McCormick has personally purchased hundreds of historic artifacts which he has donated to groups such as museums, affiliated military units, veterans’ associations, schools and veterans’ families. 

Captured in these collections is the distinguished military service of Canadian Veterans spanning both World Wars, all conflicts and peacekeeping missions, in addition to those awarded by foreign governments for contributions to freedom and humanity. 

Other items donated include letters, journals, personal items and trench art belonging to Canadian Veterans who served during many of our Nation’s most iconic battles such as Dieppe, Vimy, Somme, Normandy and Passchendaele. 

McCormick will be traveling to the United Kingdom next year and on his journey he will be relocating a medal from the British Veterinarian Corps, just one of the examples of the work that he is doing in finding homes of these artifacts that have been scattered about Canada.

"I'm taking a tour of the UK in 2017 specifically to reunite those artifacts with different museums and also to locate some Canadian artifacts in those museums as well," said McCormick.

Behind the scenes, McCormick has located families and ensured, at no cost to them, that their family member’s medals are returned and professionally preserved for future generations to honour.  
 
McCormick has expanded his dedicated efforts, to include repatriating objects that originate from the United States and United Kingdom.
 
“HLCol Kevin McCormick is an outstanding Canadian who dedicates an impressive amount of his own personal time and resources in an effort to recognize the achievements and sacrifices of Canadian Veterans, and reunite medals and other personal effects to families,” said LCol John M. Valtonen, Deputy Commander of 33 Canadian Brigade Group. 

“As we mark Remembrance Day I am pleased to learn that this project will not only continue, but also grow in scope, and honour the military sacrifice of our Allies around the world.”
 
In addition to his ongoing efforts with Project Honour and Preserve, McCormick also has a rich history of supporting the Canadian Forces members, Veterans and their families through innovative programs and partnerships.

"I don't do this for anything, I don't collect myself and I don't donate and repatriate for any tax receipt or anything. It's important that people have an opportunity to say 'thank you' and the history is very important and this is Veterans' Week and any of the freedoms we have are a direct result of individuals who have gone and served," said McCormick.

"I'd encourage everyone to come out for the Remembrance Day ceremony at the arena tomorrow, to stand and thank those veterans and those members who are currently serving for what they do."


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.