Knowing history was a theme at this years Remembrance Day service in High River.

Even more important is to know your family history.

That was the message Mayor Craig Snodgrass shared with the audience as he learned in the past few months that his Grandfather George Richardson's story was a lot different than the one he grew up with.

He says it was a hard story to share, but he was in a safe environment telling it to the High River Community.

"We do need to talk about the hard stuff," said Snodgrass. "Find a way to do that in a safe environment. Obviously this room is very safe for me with everybody here."

He felt compelled to share the story that he just found out about in the last six months.

"Before the war he was a cowboy in the Nanton and Claresholm area and with the depression years and lack of work he volunteered for the army in 1940."

He was shipped overseas and left Halifax Dec.1, 1940 and headed to Glasgow, Scotland.

"During that trip, which took 21 days, he suffered from seasickness. By the time he got to Glasgow and traveled 450 more miles inland, he was so sick by then with the bleeding in his stomach, they shipped him home on a ship, and another 19 to 21 days back."

His health was never the same.

"Grandpa suffered from that and his health was never good. He left Canada with perfect health and came back a number of months later with health concerns that plagued him for the rest of his life."

One way that generation dealt with problems was to drink and alcoholism became a part of his life.

While growing up Snodgrass always believed that his Grandfather was a soldier that never went overseas.

"It is a story I had never heard before."

He had asked his mom Karen about her Father and she said there was more to the story and she gathered up a handwritten account from her father.

"It's hard for me to stand up there and tell his story two generations later. What would it be like for him to sit there and share that."

He added it is difficult and advises families if you don't want to talk about what happened, write it down so future generations know what happened.