GRAND LAKE, N.S. -- Ninety-seven-year old William (Skeeter) Stephens is no stranger to sacrifice.
He is a veteran of the Second World War, the Korean War, and United Nations peacekeeping missions.
"England, North Africa, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Korea, Japan and Egypt and Cyprus," the Nova Scotia veteran says, listing off the countries where he served his country during a military career that lasted for more than 30 years.
He was sent to Europe to defend Canada and its allies against the threat of Nazi Germany as a young army private when he was only 19 years old.
"I never had no fear of nothing," Stephens says.
On Wednesday morning, he was relaxing at his home in Grand Lake, N.S., before this year's Remembrance Day ceremony and shared stories of tense moments during the Second World War.
"Six times, I was almost killed in Italy, and the last time was outside of Rome," Stephens said. "We were stranded outside of Rome and there was a guy alongside of me -- a Canadian -- the Americans made us stay outside of Rome for three days; they wanted the honour of liberating Rome, so they made us stay out there. We were fired on and shot at for three days."
The soldier standing next to Skeeter never made it, but he's quick to admit his time overseas wasn't just filled with battles and bloodshed.
Skeeter Stephens and his family attend the Remembrance Day ceremony in Enfield. (Suzette Belliveau/CTV Atlantic)
Skeeter remembers the good times, the laughter, and the camaraderie.
"There was three of us together, and it was William Kennedy, William Simple and William Stephens, the three of us, our name was William," Stephens said. "A woman took us into her house and put us in bed for two days while we were there in Belgium and she fed us and that, and she called us one, deux and trois; and she said, 'You're trois because you're petit.'"
The 97-year-old was part of the liberation of Holland and he returned to the Netherlands many times by invitation. He introduced some of the families he met to his family when he returned years later and was scheduled to visit again this summer, but COVID-19 got in the way.
"This year, I was going to take my whole family with me -- my two sons, my two daughters and my granddaughter was going again," Stephens said.
His children surrounded him Wednesday and, donning their masks, Skeeter and his family attended the Remembrance Day ceremony in Enfield.
Although things looked different this year, Skeeter is encouraging all Canadians to hold the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice close to their hearts.
"I want them to remember all the Canadian soldiers that were killed and everything -- it's unbelievable, you know," Stephens says.
These are emotions Skeeter Stephens feels not only on Nov. 11, but every day of the year.
