OUTLOOK - The community of Outlook will have an opportunity to honour one of their own this coming spring.
Winton 'Bud' Hardy, a local man who served as a combat medic on the Ukrainian front lines amidst the brutal conflict with Russian forces, was killed on June 10 of last year by a drone strike attack.
Hardy, who'd been involved in Army Cadets throughout his high school years as well as into young adulthood, was 41 years old.
Bud's younger brother Will was open and honest in a conversation with this reporter about his brother in a story written and published last August, and today, he maintains that Bud died honourable doing what he loved at the time of his terrible demise.
"My brother is a true hero in every sense of the word and this town should be proud," said Will.
Eight months after his brother's death, Will received word recently that there are plans in the works to honour Bud for a ceremony this spring to be held in Outlook, in which he will step in for his late sibling.
"The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is planning to give some kind of a medal for honor to my brother and I will accept this on his behalf," explained Will. "I'm extremely nervous but I'm happy he is getting some official recognition, and with my brother's story being far reaching, they said for the families' convenience, we can choose the Legion branch to hold the ceremony. So, I'm thinking this will likely be in Outlook sometime in March or April."
Hardy says it would mean the world to him and his family to see many people show up to the ceremony in Outlook, and that he's remaining in contact with the Red Cross in the hopes that they can contact the Russian side of the organization in order to possibly collect any and all remains of Bud.
"I'm also still dealing with preparing a case to go through Ukrainian court to have his status declared officially KIA (Killed in Action) so that I can finally get a death certificate," he shared.
Hardy says the words haven't quite come to him yet as far as what he may say during the ceremony to honour and remember Bud. In the meantime, Will is saving money in order to have a special monument placed in town to honour his late brother, which he says will be a tribute to Bud that he's looking forward to carrying out.
"That's a tough question, man," he said. "I think to get his bench that I'm planning, made of black granite, placed in the Outlook park or somewhere in town. It's roughly five grand, and I have three already set aside. I talked to the mayor and he said he doesn't see a problem with us placing the bench somewhere nice."
Hardy also shared some words given to him by the main medical trainer in Ukraine, which he says impacted him very hard.
Calling Bud 'David', by his middle name, the man named Sergey revealed to Will the courage shown by his brother during times of combat and that he searched for Bud's remains, calling him one of the best cadets he'd ever seen and revealing his intentions to construct a memorial for Bud and all the combat medics who served in the line of duty.
"Good afternoon, my name is Sergey," the communication to Will reads. "I am a senior sergeant in the Ukrainian army, and I was David Winton's instructor. I would like to honor the memory of my cadet, who died as a hero. He evacuated three seriously wounded soldiers and stayed to help others. But an enemy FPV killed him.
I searched for David's relatives for a long time. He was one of the best cadets. He was a wonderful, kind and sympathetic person. Please accept my sincere condolences. During that month while I was teaching him to be a medic, he became my friend. He was always positive, smiling and I really asked him to be careful. He died as a real hero. And when I learned of his death, it was a blow to me. Because every medic is my brother. And I express my deep gratitude to you for such a wonderful person. An honor!
I want to make a small memorial for Ukraine. Dedicated to all the combat medics who died. I want David to be remembered. This is the least I can do for him."
As the family of Bud Hardy prepares for the ceremony in Outlook, it very well could be said that the community will indeed be honouring a true wartime hero later this spring.
