Hometown heroes were recognized in a special way in Shediac, New Brunswick this Remembrance Day, with a dozen banners featuring soldier’s pictures and dates of service overlooking the town's Main Street.
The idea came from UN-NATO Veteran’s Group president Shawn Wilkie after he saw banners honouring other community's veterans and wanted to bring the idea to his hometown of Shediac.
“It’s just an opportunity to salute a veteran, so it could be a friend of the family, it could be family himself,” says Wilkie.
One of veterans being recognized on a banner is a survivor of the D-day landings in Normandy, France. 97-year-old Alphonse Voutour enlisted with the North Shore Regiment at the age of 19 and served with the Canadian Army from 1939 to 1945.
Voutour was one of the first to hit the beaches on D-day. He was driving a Bren Gun Carrier with two other soldiers on board and one machine gun positioned in the middle.
“It was hell on earth, the Germans were there waiting for us,” says Voutour. “The Germans had bunkers. It was like 6 feet thick but they had the opening where the gun was. Our goal was to get there and throw some hand grenades in there to get the Germans.”
The banner program is expected to continue next year with a banner on each pole lining Main Street.
“I would like to see this project go to every post in this town, especially the downtown core,” says Shediac Royal Canadian Legion president Leo Doiron.
According to the Shediac legion, there are just five Second World veterans remaining in the Shediac area.
“Everybody that I meet comes up and shakes hands with me... I feel just great to live here,” says Voutour.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis
