A New Brunswick veteran doesn’t want anyone to forget the name Éloi Arsenault, even though he died 71 years ago. Although he was raised in the Memramcook area, Arsenault served with the U.S. Army during the First World War. After serving in France in 1918, Arsenault returned to the Boston area after the Great War but eventually found his way back home. Arsenault was a forgotten man until Etienne Gaudet discovered a part of his past. Cpt. Gaudet spent 21 years in the Canadian Army and took over the affairs of Memramcook veterans in 2022. His predecessor handed him a box of odds and ends and photos. “Within that box I found a dog tag, a round U.S. Army dog tag that soldiers would have had around their necks as they were serving back then,” said Gaudet. On the tag was the name Private Éloi Arsenualt. “That piqued my curiosity for sure,” he said. “Who is this Éloi?” Gaudet started to gather as much information as he could on Arsenault, but there wasn’t much. Arsenault was born on Nov. 30, 1880. He was a member of the U.S. Army’s 1st Army HQ Regiment and returned from France in 1919. Gaudet doesn’t believe Arsenault was ever married or had any children. No known photographs of Arsenault exist. Like many Acadians, Gaudet said it’s likely Arsenault went to New England for work and when the United States entered the war, he either signed up or was encouraged to do so. Eventually, he returned to Memramcook, where he died on May 22, 1955 at the age of 76 and was buried in the Saint-Thomas Cemetery. When he found out where he was located, Gaudet decided to pay his respects, but couldn’t find Arsenault. A local funeral director did know where he was buried and placed a yellow flag as a marker for Gaudet to find him. “I came the next day and found the yellow flag and realized Éloi had been buried without a tombstone,” he said. “An unmarked grave and that really hurt me. It was painful to see that.” Gaudet was determined to fix the unintentional oversight and get Arsenault a proper tombstone. “He deserved it. He went oversees,” said Gaudet. It took a few years, but through donations from the community Gaudet was able to get a stone for Arsenault and it was erected this past summer, something Gaudet is very proud of. “In this case, there was an aspect of maybe we’d forgotten Éloi a bit and by giving him a tombstone we’re reclaiming his memory and I feel a sort of a duty to him,” said Gaudet. “We’ve done right by Éloi in this case and we have a responsibility to do right by all veterans.” Gaudet keeps Arsenault’s old dog tag on a keychain that stays with him wherever he goes. He will never forget Éloi’s name and now through his efforts, it’s hoped neither will his community. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
