Born in Fredericton, Arthur Wallace Eatman was the son of a First World War veteran and followed that legacy of service when he enlisted at just 19 years old. His skill and leadership were quickly recognized: promoted from Private to Corporal, and then to Sergeant by 1942.

In July 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily, Sergeant Eatman led a reconnaissance patrol tasked with checking a nearby residence for enemy forces. The patrol did not return. Eatman and five others were killed, twenty-two were taken prisoner, and one soldier was never recovered. Sergeant Eatman was just 23 years old.

Eatman’s story is also a family story. Two of his brothers served during the Second World War, and his father fought in the First World War, including at Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele. Despite systemic discrimination that limited opportunities for Black Canadians in both wars, the Eatman family – like many others in New Brunswick – answered the call to serve.

We remember Sergeant Arthur Wallace Eatman and the thousands of Black Canadians whose service and sacrifice have too often gone unrecognized, yet remain essential to our shared history.