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Description
Injuries to his face and hands, the result of a thrown "potato masher," put Mr. Letendre in an England hospital for about ten days. Then, following a two-week leave, he found himself on the way back to the action in France.
Hugh Victor Letendre
M. Letendre est né le 4 mars 1925 dans le petit village de Lac Ste-Anne (Alberta). Comme Métis, il a appris à parler cri, français et anglais. Il faisait partie d’une grande famille : il avait un frère et huit soeurs. Son père était trappeur et faisait une pêche commerciale importante. M. Letendre a appris à chasser et à pêcher de son père. <br><br> À l’âge de 11 ans, il est devenu concierge de l’école à classe unique où il était également élève. Il balayait les planchers, préparait le feu le matin et transportait l’eau et le charbon. Pour tous ses efforts, on le payait quatre dollars par mois, qu’il remettait à ses parents puisqu’ils avaient très peu d’argent à l’époque. <br><br> Il s’enrôla à l’âge de 18 ans et il servit pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale comme carabinier dans les Calgary Highlanders. Pendant son déploiement outre-mer, il a servi dans la campagne de Normandie après le jour J. Après la guerre, il devint le chef de l’Association nationale des anciens combattants autochtones.
Transcription
Did a little bit of surgery on my face, plastic surgery, fixed up my hands. I was in the hospital about nine, ten days I guess it wasn't too long. And they gave me a leave, the hospital. I went to Scotland, toured around England for nine days. Reported back about six o'clock that night, look at the draft board and my name is on it. Six o'clock the next morning I was headed back for France. And back in action.
Interviewer: Now you were no longer the naive young boy that you were when you went first.
No.
Interviewer: What was your attitude going back the second time Mr. Letendre?
Well it's quite a big difference. When I was in the first time, it seemed like I had no fear, it seemed like I was just doing the job that...I wasn't worried about death, nothing. I knew it was happening but it didn't seem to bother me. But when I went back second time, when the airburst start going over and shellfire started going over my head, I find myself hitting the ground when I didn't have to. I was nervous. Maybe because the reality now setting in, I don't know. But it took awhile again to, I never did get back to that feeling of no fear. And I always said to myself or other people. When you hit that stage, you become the best soldier you could ever be. Because you are just there to do what you have to and the fear of dying is not there. It's when you get scared, the fear of dying, you don't become as a good a soldier. That's what I found with me.
Interviewer: You rejoined the Calgary Highlanders?
Yeah, same company, same platoon, same corporal, he was still there. Yeah we had some boys there from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland in the Calgary Highlanders. They're from all over.