Guy Black, a military historian from Port Moody, B.C., is more than willing to assist any Canadian Veteran who participated in the liberation of France back in 1944 receive France’s Legion of Honour medal. Black has helped dozens of Veterans who live in the Lower Mainland apply for and receive these prestigious medals. (Photo supplied)
A Canadian military historian from Port Moody, B.C. has taken it upon himself to ensure that hundreds of Canadian veterans who participated in the liberation of France more than 70 years ago receive a prestigious medal being offered to them by the French government.
Since 2014, the government of France has been awarding their highest medal – the Legion of Honour – to Canadian veterans who participated in the liberation of France back in 1944.
Guy Black, 52, has personally helped dozens of retired Veterans living in the Lower Mainland apply for and receive the prestigious medal and he’s more than willing to help anyone from across the province.
“I’m really interested in Canadian military history … it’s a passion of mine,” he said. “Assisting Veterans and remembering them is very important to me, so when I found there are still Veterans around who haven’t received their Legion of Honour medals, I wanted to do something about it.
“A lot of those still around would be in their middle or late 90s and there’s not a lot of time to ensure they get those medals that they so richly deserve.”
The original plan was for this Legion of Medal program to wrap up in 2015, but more and more Veterans continued to apply, so the French government and Veterans Affair Canada decided to extend the deadline, which many people don’t know about, he said.
“Even on the Veterans Affairs Canada website, it says the deadline for this program has passed, but that’s not accurate … the deadline has been lifted,” he said.
More than 20,000 Legion of Honour medals have been distributed around the world by the government of France, including 600 to Canadian Veterans, he said.
There are at least 400 more who are still alive and have yet to apply for or receive their medals, he said.
Black contacted the French Embassy in Ottawa and now has direct connections that ease the process of filing applications to receive the Legion of Honour medal, he said.
From the time an application is filed by a Canadian Veteran, it takes six months to one year to receive the application, send it to France for approval, have it returned to Canada and then have the medal distributed in the mail to the Veteran, he said.
Black has also helped Veterans from the Korean War and those who helped liberate Holland during the Second World War in applying for medals from the Korean and Dutch government.
The Legion of Honour medals are issued not only to those who participated in the infamous D-Day invasion in France, but were part of the Canadian military operations leading to that raid and military efforts in the months afterwards, he said.
Black said he would personally help any Canadian Veteran fill out the application and file it to Veterans Affairs Canada.
Many Veterans have received their medals, but many others don’t know it’s available, he said.
“The Legion of Honour is a very significant official medal that is equal to the Order of Canada,” said Black. “Living Canadian Veterans who saw service in France or directly supported the liberation campaign between June 6, 1944 and Aug. 10, 1944, may be eligible. There is no cost or fee involved.”
Bruce Davies, the president of Branch 173 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Osoyoos, said he hadn’t heard about the call out to find Canadian Veterans who had participated in the liberation of France, but he was thrilled the government of France was issuing these medals.
Off the top of his head, he knew of three members of Branch 173 who might be eligible to receive the Legion of Honour, he said.
“I just think it’s quite nice to offer something like this,” he said. “My father fought in the Second World War and it’s because of Veterans like him and so many others that I never had to fight and experience the horrors of war like they did.”
Dr. Robert Ritchie, who is the service officer for Branch 173, said this isn’t the first time the French government has attempted to find Canadian Veterans to bestow this special honour on them.
“It seems to me they have done this before … but it is honourable of them to try and find as many Veterans as they can because there aren’t many left who were around in 1944,” he said. “It would be a very nice medal to have.”
Ritchie was stationed in Winnipeg as part of the Canadian Army during the liberation of France 73 years ago.
That was the beginning of a long and successful medical career in the Canadian armed forces, he said.
He’s grateful to Black and all of his efforts to ensure as many Canadian Veterans as possible receive the Legion of Honour, he said.
For those who might not be comfortable applying through the Veterans Affairs Canada website, they can contact him directly, said Black.
They can contact Black by email at [email protected].
They can also send a letter addressed to the Legion of Honour, care of 515-95 Moody Street, Port Moody, B.C., V3H 0H2.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
