VANCOUVER — A British Columbia veteran of D-Day has reflected on the 80th anniversary of the operation, saying"nobody wins in a war," after receiving France's highest decoration at a ceremony in Vancouver.Now aged 99, Vogelgesang has been named a Knight of the Legion of Honour to acknowledge what the French Consulate General in Vancouver calls his contribution and bravery in the liberation of France.
He says he wants people to understand the cruelty of war, and that if they did there might be less need for the military in future. Vogelgesang, who now lives in Abbotsford, B.C., volunteered in his home province of Saskatchewan at the age of 17 and left for England in early 1944 as part of the Calgary Highlanders."My sergeant told me, if you live for the next 48 hours, you will live for a long time, and I learned a lot in 48 hours," said Vogelgesang.
His youngest daughter, Sharon Bunn, said ahead of the ceremony their family was “bursting with pride and gratitude” upon hearing he would receive the French honour. She said Vogelgesang, who lives in his own apartment in the Fraser Valley city, is staying up-to-date on current affairs. “He's very no-nonsense,” she said with a laugh.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: vanmag_com - 🏆 55. / 59 Read more »
Source: GlobalCalgary - 🏆 50. / 61 Read more »
Source: timescolonist - 🏆 15. / 75 Read more »
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »
Source: BurnabyNOW_News - 🏆 14. / 77 Read more »
Source: PGCitizen - 🏆 65. / 51 Read more »