Each of the 247 names on the Veterans Way Memorial has a story behind it.

And Okotoks Museum Specialist Kathy Coutts is helping preserve the stories and memories of Okotoks veterans with guided monthly tours.

The second monthly tour is set for Saturday, April 21 and is called 'Escape, Evasion and POWs'

Coutts says she'll be sharing remarkable stories of local airmen, some who evaded capture and others who were captured, became prisoners of war and attempted to escape from prison camps.

"I think people will be really interested in, not only in the bravery and the courage of local residents, but also the selflessness of the people from Holland who helped in the underground resistance and helped the Allied forces escape capture," she says.

She says those who were captured endured years in prisoner-of-war camps, which took a toll not only on the individuals themselves, but also on their families back at home who were left not knowing about their loved one's whereabouts.

The free guided tour runs from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and those interested in taking part should meet at the benches halfway up Veterans Way, Coutts says.

The next tour, planned for May, will feature stories of 'Women and World War II,' while the one in June will focus on 'Those Who Paid the Ultimate Sacrifice.'

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