Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MILITARY LANYARD

Date Range From

1966

Date Range To

1974

Materials

ZARI, NYLON, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

3.7

Length

82.6

Width

5.0

Description

MILITARY LANYARD, GOLD AND MAROON CORD, BRAIDED AND TWISTED IN AREAS, HANGING ENDS OF CORD DECORATED WITH GOLD COLORED BRASS TASSELS, TOP OF TASSEL IS SPHERICAL COVERED IN BRAIDED WIRE, END OF TASSEL IS CONICAL, DEPICTS CEREMONIAL AXE.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

POLITICS

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR IRIS ASPESLET AT TIME OF DONATION, THE AIGUILETTE WAS WORN BY HER HUSBAND, A. O. (TONY) ASPESLET, WHEN HE SERVED AS AIDE-DE-CAMP FOR GRANT MACEWAN WHO WAS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FROM 1966-1974. THE DONOR SAID HE WORE THE AIGUILETTE DURING EVENTS SUCH AS A BOY SCOUT INSPECTION AND THE OPENING OF THE NIKKA YUKO JAPANESE GARDENS. ACCORDING TO WWW.NIKKAYUKO.COM, "ESTABLISHED DURING CANADA’S CENTENNIAL IN 1967, NIKKA YUKO WAS BUILT TO RECOGNIZE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY CITIZENS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY TO THE MULTI-CULTURAL COMMUNITY OF LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, AND AS A SYMBOL OF INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP. ITS NAME WAS CREATED FROM THE JAPANESE WORDS NI (FROM NIHON MEANING JAPAN), KA FROM KANADA OR CANADA, AND YUKO, WHICH TRANSLATES AS 'FRIENDSHIP' TO MEAN 'JAPAN-CANADA FRIENDSHIP.'" THE EVENT WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY PRINCE AND PRINCESS TAKAMATSU. DONOR WAS UNABLE TO RECALL HOW OR WHY THE AIGUILETTE SURVIVED. AIDES-DE-CAMP ACT AS LIASONS BETWEEN THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND ORGANIZATIONS; PROVIDE ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO HOSTS OF OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR; ENSURE THE CORRECT LEVEL OF PROTOCOL IS ADHERED TO AT OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS; AND ATTEND TO THE NEEDS OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. THE POSITION IS SELECTED FROM MEMBERS OF THE REGULAR FORCES, RESERVISTS AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE. ACCORDING TO "LETHBRIDGE AT WAR," "LIEUTENANT COLONEL ASPESLET FIRST JOINED THE ARMY IN 1941 AS AN INFANTEER. ONE YEAR LATER, AND NOW IN ENGLAND, HE WAS A CORPORAL WITH THE 29TH CANADIAN ARMOURED RECONNAISSANCE REGIMENT. AFTER OFFICER TRAINING AT SANDHURST, LIEUTENANT COLONEL ASPESLET WAS COMMISSIONED AND HE SERVED IN EUROPE UNTIL RETURNING TO CANADA FOR DEMOBILIZATION ON 10 JANUARY 1946. NOT TOO LONG AFTERWARDS HE WAS BACK IN THE ARMY, THIS TIME WITH THE 19TH ALBERTA ARMOURED CAR REGIMENT IN EDMONTON AND LATER THE CALGARY TANKS. UPON ARRIVING IN LETHBRIDGE, LIEUTENANT COLONEL ASPESLET FIRST JOINED THE ENGINEERS UNTIL THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMAND THE 18TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT PRESENTED ITSELF. ALL THROUGH HIS RESERVE SERVICE IN ALBERTA, HE WORKED IN THE DAIRY PROCESSING INDUSTRY AS A DAIRY SPECIALIST. LIEUTENANT COLONEL ASPESLET CONTINUED TO COMMAND THE 18TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT UNTIL JANUARY 1967 WITH MAJOR JACK CLEWES AS HIS SECOND-IN-COMMAND FOR MUCH OF THIS TIME." A.O. ASPESLET PASSED AWAY IN MAY OF 2007. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P20090008000

Acquisition Date

2008-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail