I’m still living

Heroes Remember - The Second World War

I’m still living

Transcript

All the vehicles had gone aboard the ship . . . and take them off the ship, and for . . . of all things, when I went to back my truck off, my heavens, the battery was dead. And I said to them, I said, "Somebody must have left the little switch on." I said. "Not me." I said, "Not me." I said. "I looked my truck over before I left it," 'cause I'm the last one on, and I gotta move me to get all them other vehicles backed out. And I couldn't understand that someone . . . and I looked it all over before I left. And then, when I went to start, it wouldn't go, so somebody had to tow me off the truck, and that's why we stopped. And the, and the Corporal come over, and he said, "You just pull up there and stop in France." And the other fella stopped, "He will . . . look it, I'll be back to get you." Getting right off the boat and getting on land and seeing so many of our soldiers. There he is, just saw him last night, there he is, head gone, body gone, everything gone. Yeah, that was, that was . . . every area that they could throw a bomb or shell, the Germans did it. And sometimes you wonder how come you're so . . . we were lucky, this . . .all other fellas gone, and there I'm still living, you know? Still living, it's a funny thing.

Description

Mr. Parsons describes landing his truck at Normandy and seeing fellow soldiers dead on the beach.

Ivan “Benny” Parsons

Ivan Benjamin Parsons was born in Lucasville, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, on February 26, 1922. He was the eldest of 10 children and worked on a local farm. His father was a sawyer at the local saw mill. After finishing basic training in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Camp Borden, Ontario, Mr. Parsons shipped to England aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth. After training as a truck driver, he took part in the D-Day invasion at Normandy. During his service in Europe, his truck crew delivered ordinance to the artillery. Mr. Parsons returned home early in 1946. After working in the retail business for a short time, he returned to the Army. Mr. Parsons later served with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires for 20 years.

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