Prince George, B.C.- Today has a double meaning for John Kuharchuk. Not only is it the 66^th Anniversary of D-Day, the day the allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy , it is also the day the Veteran’s Plaza and Spirit Square in Prince George, officially opened.

Kuharchuk was part of the small parade of Veterans which made its way from the Royal Canadian Legion on 7^th Avenue, to the new cenotaph this morning.

There, wreaths were laid to remember those who had fallen in the service of Canada.

“It is a great time to help educate   young people” says Kuharchuk, “But we old Vets get a little sentimental thinking about our comrades who were lost.”  

 

A member of the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s)  which was originally the 16^th Canadian Scottish Batalion in the First World War, Kuharchuk missed D-Day by nearly a month. “I had originally been trained in the tanks division, and was in England on hold when the troops got their marching orders. I woke up  with a big lump on my neck which turned out to be the mumps, so I was in hospital when all hell broke loose.” He says someone must have been looking out for him because many of his comrades who hit the beach on D-Day,   he never saw again. Kuharchuk would land in Normandy July 7^th or “D-Day plus 29” .  

 

He went back to Holland in 1990 to find the graves of his fallen friends, “I found them” he says, his eyes misting over “ I saw their graves.” Standing in front of the new cenotaph in Prince George, Kuharchuk says it is a great honour to be remembered "It is important that young people be part of the ceremonies so they can learn about the ultimate sacrifice made by so many."

 

Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture), issued the following statement today regarding the 66th anniversary of D-Day.

"On June 6, 1944, 15,000 Canadian forces from land, air and sea came together on the beaches of Normandy to join in the Allied invasion of occupied France. D-Day, and the campaign that followed, would signal the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

The triumph at D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, however, was not without sacrifice. Of the 90,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served in the Battle of Normandy, 5,000 would lay down their lives defending freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

The First Sunday in June is Canadian Forces Day, a day dedicated to honouring the contributions of those who serve, both at home and abroad. It is fitting that this year Canadian Forces Day also falls on June 6, because the values our military men and women continue to defend are the same as those our Veterans fought for on the beaches of Normandy so many years ago.

Canada remembers its heroes-we will pay tribute to their legacy and honour those who continue to serve. The freedoms we enjoy today are because of them and we owe it to them to remember. Lest we forget."