It took 74 years, but John Andrew B次元官网网址淒utchB次元官网网址� McLellan finally received his World War II medals.
McLellan was awarded his hardware at a ceremony Oct. 23 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Cloverdale.
B次元官网网址淒ad was feeling really great that night,B次元官网网址� said Don McLellan, JohnB次元官网网址檚 son.
Don said his dad appreciated that so many family members and others showed up to witness a ceremony 74 years in the making.
B次元官网网址淗e was pretty proud to receive the medals and he has them on his coffee table,B次元官网网址� said Don. B次元官网网址淪omeone asked him after the ceremony what he thought about all this and he said, B次元官网网址業 wonder why it all happened.B次元官网网址� They asked, B次元官网网址榙o you mean the ceremony?B次元官网网址� He answered B次元官网网址榥o, why the war had to happen?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Don was also glad to see so many people there, both family and others. B次元官网网址淎 lot of times the veterans get forgotten.B次元官网网址�
But it was no clerical error that prevented John from receiving his medals, he just never applied for them.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 just that type of person,B次元官网网址� Don said. B次元官网网址淗e said to me when I asked him, B次元官网网址業 never applied for them because I was just doing my job.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
John may not have received his medals at all had the family not inquired to see if John was eligible for a veteranB次元官网网址檚 pension.
Don said his dad was in the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. B次元官网网址淗e suffered some hearing loss because of his (service), so we thought he would definitely qualify for a veteranB次元官网网址檚 pension.B次元官网网址�
As they inquired about the pension, they contacted the Cloverdale Legion. ThatB次元官网网址檚 when Earl Fraser, the LegionB次元官网网址檚 service officer, paid John a visit.
B次元官网网址淚 went to his house to visit him and see if we could get him a disability pension from Veterans Affairs Canada.B次元官网网址�
Fraser asked John where his war medals were.
B次元官网网址淎we, I never got them,B次元官网网址� John said. B次元官网网址淏ut it doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter.B次元官网网址�
Fraser then told John he should apply for them, even if it was just something JohnB次元官网网址檚 children would appreciate.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want you to leave today,B次元官网网址� Fraser told John, B次元官网网址渂ut when you do go, your boys can have them.B次元官网网址�
John agreed. B次元官网网址淗e said, B次元官网网址極kay, that sounds pretty good.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
So Fraser and Don looked through JohnB次元官网网址檚 old WWII SoldierB次元官网网址檚 Service and Pay Book.
B次元官网网址淚t said in the book that he qualified for some medals,B次元官网网址� said Don.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 when things got interesting for Fraser. He called Veterans Affairs Canada in Ottawa and spoke to someone in the Honour & Awards Section.
B次元官网网址淚 gave him all JohnB次元官网网址檚 info and he got back to us later saying John was eligible for two medals,B次元官网网址� said Fraser.
Don said his dad was surprised he would be receiving medals 74 years after the war.
Fraser said the ceremony at the Cloverdale Legion was well-attended.
B次元官网网址淚t was awesome,B次元官网网址� said Fraser. B次元官网网址淛ohn was very proud of those medals. He earned them.B次元官网网址�
Fraser also said John looks great for being a centenarian.
B次元官网网址淣obody could believe his age. At 101, he looks like he could be 80.B次元官网网址�
When Scott MacMillan, Legion president, pinned the medals on JohnB次元官网网址檚 chest everyone in the Legion gave John a standing ovation.
B次元官网网址淚 got goosebumps,B次元官网网址� said Fraser. B次元官网网址淭here were tears. It was amazing. Not only was there a lot of his family members, but there was also a lot of members in the Legion that night.B次元官网网址�
Thirty-one family members attended the ceremony, which included JohnB次元官网网址檚 children and their spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
In total, John has nine children, 24 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren.
John was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1918, less than six weeks before the guns in Europe fell silent for the worldB次元官网网址檚 first Armistice Day.
John was the youngest of five children and his mother passed away of pulmonary tuberculosis when John was two years old.
B次元官网网址淒ad was sent to live in Vancouver when he was six,B次元官网网址� said Don. B次元官网网址淗e went to St. PatrickB次元官网网址檚 until he finished Grade 9, then he was off to work.B次元官网网址�
John was a sports enthusiast, according to Don, participating in lacrosse, football, and boxing. B次元官网网址淗e lost his spleen to the butt end of a lacrosse stick.B次元官网网址�
Don said his dad then signed up with the army and was sent to Vernon for basic training.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 where he met my mother. She waited for three years for him to come back [from the war]. They had six boys and then adopted a girl who was a foster child. They then had two more girls. Mom passed away five years ago this November 12.B次元官网网址�
John served in Operation Cottage, part of the Aleutian Islands campaign, in 1943. Both Canadian and American forces landed on Kiska Island only to find the Japanese had already left. But due to mines, vehicle accidents, and friendly fireB次元官网网址攂oth Canadian and American forces mistook each other for Japanese troopsB次元官网网址攖he landing accrued 313 casualties, 92 dead and 221 wounded.
John then went to Europe and was part of the force that invaded the German-held Netherlands.
The two medals John received are the France and Germany Star and the 1939-1945 War Service Medal.
B次元官网网址淗e is like a lot of soldiers,B次元官网网址� said Don. B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 want to talk about (the war) much. In the past he talked a bit about the people of (The Netherlands). He said they were very good to the Canadian soldiers. He would have liked to have gone back and visited them, but it never happened.B次元官网网址�
The Cloverdale Legion invited John to lay a wreath at the cenotaph in VeteransB次元官网网址� Square on Remembrance Day, but John declined. He lives in Langley and has been attending the Remembrance Day ceremony in Fort Langley for the last six years. John plans to continue on with that tradition again this year with his family.
B次元官网网址淗e said, B次元官网网址楾hank you for the honour, but I just want to be with my family again this year.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
DonB次元官网网址檚 brother Terry lives in Fort Langley and John likes the town and the Remembrance Day service there.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a smaller community,B次元官网网址� Don said. B次元官网网址淭he service is very well attended and feels more like a family atmosphere.B次元官网网址�
Don said the McLellans always head out for lunch afterwards.
B次元官网网址淢y brother Terry has been phoning ahead this year to try to confirm numbers. Last year, he made a reservation for lunch for 24 people, but 28 showed up.B次元官网网址�
Don said itB次元官网网址檚 going to be another big year for a big family. He said John canB次元官网网址檛 wait.
B次元官网网址淗e loves being with his family, going to the ceremony, and then going out with everyone after.B次元官网网址�
