Prayer book returned to family

Just ahead of Remembrance Day, the story of a very timely find. The owner of a second hand shop in Hamilton stumbled across a 1943 prayer book belonging to a Canadian soldier.

This evening, the shopkeep was able to return it to the soldier’s brother.

“He must have carried it through the war.”

It’s a small scrap of paper. No larger than a business card. But to Arnold Palango it says so much: “Well, that’s something else. Boy.”

The newspaper clipping was hidden for years inside the pages of this prayer book, discovered on Sunday by Sue St. Jean: “Well, I own a second hand shop and there were some boxes that were brought in and I was going through them and it happened to be in the very corner of the box.”

Flipping through, it became apparent this wasn’t an item she’d be putting up for sale.

Sue: “Inside the first page it says Joseph Palango in it. Arrived overseas in 1943 I believe.”

With that, St. Jean set out to find Joseph Palango’s family. On that newspaper clipping inside, the names of two more Palango’s who had enlisted — including Arnold’s. Joseph’s brother.

St. Jean found him living in a Hamilton retirement residence with his wife of 65 years.

Arnold: “No, I don’t remember the book at all, but all of the Canadian soldiers were given one of these books when they got overseas.”

Arnold was too young to be sent overseas. He served with the military police based out of Kingston. His brother Joseph, however was sent into war: “He went over to England then he went over to Africa and in Italy he got wounded.”

Joseph survived the war but has since passed on. For Arnold, this exchange has unexpectedly brought back a piece of his brother: “Oh heck, big surprise. I can’t believe it. I’m so happy she brought it. She didn’t try to sell it she brought it. I’m going to read it later.”

Arnold says he’ll be giving the prayer book to Joseph’s son. St. Jean says she knew it belonged to the family and if she ever stumbled across something like this again, she’ll do the same thing.