Brian Lobb (left) and Rick Lundin were both recently awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the highest award in the Royal Canadian Legion, in recognition of their work with the Legion. Lobb is currently the poppy and youth chair and Lundin is zone commander for the South Okanagan. (Richard McGuire photo)
Two Osoyoos men who have committed thousands of hours to the Royal Canadian Legion are thrilled to have been honoured with that organization’s highest honour.
Brian Lobb and Rick Lundin were both awarded the Legion’s Meritorious Service Medals (MSM) during a recent presentation in Summerland.
The Meritorious Service Medal is the highest award that can be granted to life, ordinary or associate members of the Royal Canadian Legion and special care must be taken to ensure that only the most deserving are recommended for this medal.
Approval of the MSM is the responsibility of the Dominion Command Ritual and Awards Committee.
Those who recommend fellow comrades for the MSM must ensure that the person being nominated is worthy of consideration and that all of their accomplishments are included in the application.
According to the Royal Canadian Legion handbook, the citation that accompanies the nomination must be based on the activities of the individual and these activities must exceed the standard that is expected of a regular member.
“It’s quite an honour and I’m very proud to have received the MSM,” said Lundin, who has been the zone commander for the Royal Canadian Legion in the South Okanagan and Similkameen region for the past several years.
Lobb shared the same sentiments.
“I wasn’t really expecting this and it’s a great honour to be nominated and to receive the MSM,” said Lobb. “I’m a proud member of the Legion and to receive the highest honour is something I will always cherish.”
Lobb has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for 22 years, while Lundin has been a member for 50 years.
Two years ago, Lundin was one of only 700 members to receive a national commendation for dedication and commitment to the Royal Canadian Legion.
That commendation is awarded to individuals who have performed commendable service to the veteran community and/or individuals who represent commendable role models for their fellow veterans.
Lundin joined the legion within days of leaving the service and has been a proud and active member for 50 years.
“I joined the legion the day I turned 21,” he said proudly. “In those days it was the thing to do, especially if you were ex-military. Everyone joined the legion back in those days. It was a great organization then and it remains a great organization to this day.”
Lundin has volunteered his time for several years volunteering countless hours acting as a surveyor in long-term care facilities in the Okanagan Valley.
Lundin is a member of the local Legion Poppy Committee and has been on the executive committees of RCL branches for many years.
He helps with the organization of the annual Veterans Dinner at Branch 173 in Osoyoos, where he’s often seen donning a chef’s hat while preparing the meal. He was also instrumental in renaming a local park in Osoyoos to Veterans Park and renaming a street in Oliver to Veterans Way in recognition of all veterans in the South Okanagan.
Lobb enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1961.
For Lobb, whose family lived in Rock Creek before moving to Oliver, he saw few opportunities as a young person to find work in the Okanagan.
He picked fruit, worked in sawmills and for some time worked in a silica pit before fears of silicosis led him to quit that job.
Lobb’s father had been in the Canadian Army and when saw no future in the Okanagan, his father suggested he should join the military.
Of his five brothers, four also ended up in the service. The family connection must have planted the seed that ultimately led him to join.
Those decisions ultimately led to a career in the air movements section where he rose through the ranks to Major before eventually retiring in 1992.
It was a career that took him at various times to bases across Canada and around the world.
During his long career, he worked on the air travel logistics for trips by the Queen, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, other Canadian dignitaries and numerous members of the Armed Forces.
Both men hope more Osoyoos and area residents will join the local branch.
“We need more members and you don’t have to have any affiliation with the military,” said Lundin. “We perform a lot of outstanding community work and have helped raise millions of dollars to worthy causes in this community throughout the years.
“Last year, we raised more than $15,000 and we will continue to help raise money and help our community, but the more members we have, the better work we can do.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
