ten-year-old beatrice desjardins was among those who attended monday’s remembrance day ceremony at the national war memorial, the bright red poppy over her heart contrasting sharply with the blue of her winter jacket. on the right side of her jacket, the rockland resident wore the war medal 1939-45, the canadian volunteer service medal with overseas service clasp, and the atlantic star, honours awarded to her great-grandfather, gerald caissie, who served in the second world war escorting ships across the atlantic.
“they’re heavy,” beatrice said. “but they make me feel happy, because he was in the second world war and he helped canada.”
the weight of canadians’ sacrifices on battlefields and elsewhere was on the minds and in the hearts of many who attended monday’s ceremony, each in their own way.
line carole bissonnette was also at the cenotaph, where she’s gone each nov. 11 for more than 30 years. her father, jean bissonnette, served for three-and-a-half years in the army, including 22 months in england, france, belgium, the netherlands and germany as a military police officer.
line carole bissonnette attended the remembrance day ceremony at the national war memorial. her father served in the second world war in england, france, belgium, the netherlands and germany.
jean levac
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postmedia
like many veterans, he didn’t talk much about his wartime experiences, and she wishes she’d paid closer attention when he did. but she remembers some of his anecdotes, such as when he taught a young british woman to skate — “how much more canadian can you be?” bissonnette asks — but turned down invitations from the woman to share dinner with her family, saying he had to return to the base. “but that wasn’t true. he knew they were so poor, he didn’t want to eat with them and take their food.”