With more than 50 years of service to his name, Andy Stewart seemed a natural choice for one of the Royal Canadian Legion’s major honours.
But he was nonetheless humbled this week as he was awarded a lifetime membership from the veterans’ advocacy organization.
“Very few receive that particular membership,” said Stewart, who accepted the honour at the Flin Flon Legion branch’s meeting on Monday, Sept. 28.
Stewart is in his 51st year with the Legion. All but five of those years have been spent in Flin Flon.
He is currently an executive member and a service officer whose duties include assisting veterans who require financial assistance or other forms of support.
Since 1975, Stewart has also voluntarily hosted Meet the Legion, the local branch’s weekly radio program, keeping members and the public abreast of Legion initiatives.
Stewart is a regular member of the Legion, meaning he has served in the military. From 1957 to 1959, he worked at the Royal Canadian Air Force control tower in Gimli, Manitoba, guiding pilots who were learning to fly.
The life membership is the latest in a long line of honours for Stewart. Among others, he has also received the Melvin Jones Fellowship award, the Lions Club’s highest honour, and is a member of the half-century club with the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.
