Retired Master Warrant Officer Don McDonald says he's proud to have the chance to pay respects to his fallen comrades on Remembrance Day.  

For the past three years, the Moose Jaw United Nations Veterans Group heads out to Rosedale Cemetary to place Canadian flags near the gravestones of every soldier in the field. 

"It's something we like to do every year, and we're proud of that."

McDonald said locally there are about 50 active members in the group. They continue to serve the community throughout the year as volunteers throughout the city.

"During the wintertime, we work at the food bank," said McDonald. "In December, we do as large a donation [as we can] to the Riverside Mission; clothing, personal items, for the people who have to stay there. We try to help out wherever we can."

McDonald began his 30+ year career serving his country in 1969, beginning with the Army, and later the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in Cape Breton. 

"Back then in that day the big thing was the steel plant and that was basically going under, so my dad said: 'I suggest you get out of town buddy.' So like my brothers, we all joined up. One brother was in the Army and another in the Navy. It was a great career."

McDonald spent nine years in the Army, serving several months-long stretches in places like Cyprus and Egypt. It was then he decided to switch from the army to the RCAF in order to stay closer to home to watch his young children grow up.  

"It was a refreshing change, put it that way. My son was born, he was two months old, I was gone to Egypt for seven months. I lost those seven months with my son. That pretty well told me I want to get out of this and do something else." 

After switching from the army to the RCAF, McDonald says one of the highlights of his career was flying in a CF-104 Starfighter.

"My first flight in one of those was April Fool's day 1980, it was awesome." 

McDonald was posted to CBF Moose Jaw in 1988, and he and his family ended up staying in Moose Jaw. This Monday, McDonald will participate in the Moose Jaw Remembrance Day ceremony at Mosaic Place by presenting a wreath on behalf of the Moose Jaw UN Veterans group. 

After the ceremony, McDonald said he plans to head over to the Legion, where he'll spend time reminiscing, telling stories, and catching up with old friends. 

"You see people that you haven't seen for a long time, and then all the good times that you had with them come back. And you talk about it, and it's a great day, put it that way."

The ceremony at Mosaic Place begins on Monday morning at 10:40 a.m. Attendees are asked to be seated no later than 10:30.