It took 74 years, but John Andrew 含羞草研究社淒utch含羞草研究社� McLellan finally received his World War II medals.
McLellan was awarded his hardware at a ceremony Oct. 23 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Cloverdale.
含羞草研究社淒ad was feeling really great that night,含羞草研究社� said Don McLellan, John含羞草研究社檚 son.
Don said his dad appreciated that so many family members and others showed up to witness a ceremony 74 years in the making.
含羞草研究社淗e was pretty proud to receive the medals and he has them on his coffee table,含羞草研究社� said Don. 含羞草研究社淪omeone asked him after the ceremony what he thought about all this and he said, 含羞草研究社業 wonder why it all happened.含羞草研究社� They asked, 含羞草研究社榙o you mean the ceremony?含羞草研究社� He answered 含羞草研究社榥o, why the war had to happen?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Don was also glad to see so many people there, both family and others. 含羞草研究社淎 lot of times the veterans get forgotten.含羞草研究社�
But it was no clerical error that prevented John from receiving his medals, he just never applied for them.
含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 just that type of person,含羞草研究社� Don said. 含羞草研究社淗e said to me when I asked him, 含羞草研究社業 never applied for them because I was just doing my job.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
John may not have received his medals at all had the family not inquired to see if John was eligible for a veteran含羞草研究社檚 pension.
Don said his dad was in the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. 含羞草研究社淗e suffered some hearing loss because of his (service), so we thought he would definitely qualify for a veteran含羞草研究社檚 pension.含羞草研究社�
As they inquired about the pension, they contacted the Cloverdale Legion. That含羞草研究社檚 when Earl Fraser, the Legion含羞草研究社檚 service officer, paid John a visit.
含羞草研究社淚 went to his house to visit him and see if we could get him a disability pension from Veterans Affairs Canada.含羞草研究社�
Fraser asked John where his war medals were.
含羞草研究社淎we, I never got them,含羞草研究社� John said. 含羞草研究社淏ut it doesn含羞草研究社檛 matter.含羞草研究社�
Fraser then told John he should apply for them, even if it was just something John含羞草研究社檚 children would appreciate.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 want you to leave today,含羞草研究社� Fraser told John, 含羞草研究社渂ut when you do go, your boys can have them.含羞草研究社�
John agreed. 含羞草研究社淗e said, 含羞草研究社極kay, that sounds pretty good.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
So Fraser and Don looked through John含羞草研究社檚 old WWII Soldier含羞草研究社檚 Service and Pay Book.
含羞草研究社淚t said in the book that he qualified for some medals,含羞草研究社� said Don.
That含羞草研究社檚 when things got interesting for Fraser. He called Veterans Affairs Canada in Ottawa and spoke to someone in the Honour & Awards Section.
含羞草研究社淚 gave him all John含羞草研究社檚 info and he got back to us later saying John was eligible for two medals,含羞草研究社� said Fraser.
Don said his dad was surprised he would be receiving medals 74 years after the war.
Fraser said the ceremony at the Cloverdale Legion was well-attended.
含羞草研究社淚t was awesome,含羞草研究社� said Fraser. 含羞草研究社淛ohn was very proud of those medals. He earned them.含羞草研究社�
Fraser also said John looks great for being a centenarian.
含羞草研究社淣obody could believe his age. At 101, he looks like he could be 80.含羞草研究社�
When Scott MacMillan, Legion president, pinned the medals on John含羞草研究社檚 chest everyone in the Legion gave John a standing ovation.
含羞草研究社淚 got goosebumps,含羞草研究社� said Fraser. 含羞草研究社淭here were tears. It was amazing. Not only was there a lot of his family members, but there was also a lot of members in the Legion that night.含羞草研究社�
Thirty-one family members attended the ceremony, which included John含羞草研究社檚 children and their spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
In total, John has nine children, 24 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren.
John was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1918, less than six weeks before the guns in Europe fell silent for the world含羞草研究社檚 first Armistice Day.
John was the youngest of five children and his mother passed away of pulmonary tuberculosis when John was two years old.
含羞草研究社淒ad was sent to live in Vancouver when he was six,含羞草研究社� said Don. 含羞草研究社淗e went to St. Patrick含羞草研究社檚 until he finished Grade 9, then he was off to work.含羞草研究社�
John was a sports enthusiast, according to Don, participating in lacrosse, football, and boxing. 含羞草研究社淗e lost his spleen to the butt end of a lacrosse stick.含羞草研究社�
Don said his dad then signed up with the army and was sent to Vernon for basic training.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 where he met my mother. She waited for three years for him to come back [from the war]. They had six boys and then adopted a girl who was a foster child. They then had two more girls. Mom passed away five years ago this November 12.含羞草研究社�
John served in Operation Cottage, part of the Aleutian Islands campaign, in 1943. Both Canadian and American forces landed on Kiska Island only to find the Japanese had already left. But due to mines, vehicle accidents, and friendly fire含羞草研究社攂oth Canadian and American forces mistook each other for Japanese troops含羞草研究社攖he landing accrued 313 casualties, 92 dead and 221 wounded.
John then went to Europe and was part of the force that invaded the German-held Netherlands.
The two medals John received are the France and Germany Star and the 1939-1945 War Service Medal.
含羞草研究社淗e is like a lot of soldiers,含羞草研究社� said Don. 含羞草研究社淭hey don含羞草研究社檛 want to talk about (the war) much. In the past he talked a bit about the people of (The Netherlands). He said they were very good to the Canadian soldiers. He would have liked to have gone back and visited them, but it never happened.含羞草研究社�
The Cloverdale Legion invited John to lay a wreath at the cenotaph in Veterans含羞草研究社� Square on Remembrance Day, but John declined. He lives in Langley and has been attending the Remembrance Day ceremony in Fort Langley for the last six years. John plans to continue on with that tradition again this year with his family.
含羞草研究社淗e said, 含羞草研究社楾hank you for the honour, but I just want to be with my family again this year.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Don含羞草研究社檚 brother Terry lives in Fort Langley and John likes the town and the Remembrance Day service there.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a smaller community,含羞草研究社� Don said. 含羞草研究社淭he service is very well attended and feels more like a family atmosphere.含羞草研究社�
Don said the McLellans always head out for lunch afterwards.
含羞草研究社淢y brother Terry has been phoning ahead this year to try to confirm numbers. Last year, he made a reservation for lunch for 24 people, but 28 showed up.含羞草研究社�
Don said it含羞草研究社檚 going to be another big year for a big family. He said John can含羞草研究社檛 wait.
含羞草研究社淗e loves being with his family, going to the ceremony, and then going out with everyone after.含羞草研究社�
