Defence Team News | Reflecting on D-Day's 80th Anniversary
Video / July 19, 2024
Transcript
I am Captain Brigitte Van Hende, a member of the Canadian contingent of approximately 75 Canadian Armed Forces members who travelled to France in support of Operation DISTINCTION and the 80th commemoration of D-Day.
My grandfather, he's a World War II Veteran, served with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. His bravery and sacrifices, along with the ones of his comrades has always been a source of inspiration for me, and I'm proud to be following in his footsteps in my own ways. By attending these events, I hope to pay tribute to my grandfather's legacy and honour the memories of everyone that served with him.
I'm here because I heard that there's a statue being unveiled for the Royal Regina Rifles and my great great uncle was a member of the Royal Regina Rifles that died June 6, 1944. Once I heard there was an opportunity to come out here, I jumped on it right away so I could hopefully connect with some members of his old regiment, try to talk to a librarian and find out some more about him. It means a lot - obviously it's the 80th anniversary, so it's a big day for the recognition and of course we won't forget, we'll always remember, and it's a great opportunity to to see members that sacrificed themselves be honored in such a way that's permanent. You know, a statue will be here long after we are and hopefully that carries on some stories and some memories of previous service members and helps share the history of the Royal Regina Rifles and the contributions of Canada and the Allies as a whole. I'm proud of him. Very proud.
Definitely an honour to be here. It's, a life changing experience for sure. This is my first real ever deployment with the Navy. So, coming here and being a part of all these celebrations is certainly something that I will remember for the rest of my life.
This has been a very humbling experience for me. It's something I'll never forget in my career and it's been an honour to see all the Veterans and I'm thankful for the opportunity.