Description
Mr. Chiasson expresses his admiration for the people who appreciated his service including the gratitude from the Dutch citizens for their liberation.
Havelyn Chiasson
Mr. Chiasson was born May 14, 1921 in Misquamicut Island, New Brunswick. He attended an English and French school while his father worked as a fisherman. When war was declared in 1939, Mr. Chiasson was recruited to the Carleton York Regiment in Bathurst and later with the North Shore Regiment, a regiment he would remain with until end of wartime. Mr. Chiasson held the position of wireless operator and found himself travelling overseas which would become a 5 ½ year experience. Mr. Chiasson was part of the D-Day and Battle of Normandy landings where he reached the beaches in St. Aubin-sur-Mer, Normandy. He carried on through to Holland. Mr. Chiasson remains very active about his service years, speaking to our youth about the importance of service to our country.
Transcript
I am always thankful for people that prayed for us. I am always thankful for people that were at the train stations and at the docks when we came back. You know that was a good feeling and Remembrance Day, I look at Remembrance Day and I see a lot of men my age crying and I wonder, you know, I wonder why. It brings tears to your eyes because you think. You think you see these young soldiers coming in and you think to yourself, you know, that was us. You know that’s us. It isn’t us but that’s us. That’s what we were like a few years, now it’s all gone. So it’s a lot to be thankful for. And the people in England and Holland, every time I go back, you know, I often say to those friends in Holland that I still know. If it wasn’t for them, you know, we wouldn’t be alive today because they were so good to us. And they are so appreciative even yet for their liberation. I have a chap in Holland that calls me every May the fifth. We liberated Makkum on May the fifth. He’s a lawyer there in Holland. He calls me every May, “Hav, I just called you to say thank you for liberating us!” So that’s something to be thankful for.