Let us take a moment today to reflect on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion and the women and men who made this turning point in the Second World War possible.
First and foremost we honour the Canadians and other allied servicepeople who gave their lives on the Normandy beaches on that June 6th morning, they paid the ultimate sacrifice.
There were also thousands of others who either stormed the beaches, flew air cover or were aboard Canadian warships that were part of the thousands of ships in the D-Day armada.
We should not forget the women and men in support roles in England and back in Canada whose behind the scenes work made the invasion possible.
It’s also important to remember the civilians who worked in factories turning out everything from munitions to uniforms. In many cases women took on jobs they had never done before, jobs that were vital to making D-Day a reality.
What D-Day has taught us is the importance of unity in achieving a goal. Canadian people working hand in hand with the people of a multitude of other nations were able to set the clock ticking to end one of the most barbarous regimes we have ever known.
President Warren (Smokey) Thomas
First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida