Last known surviving WWII vet from Hamilton regiment celebrates 104th birthday

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The past known surviving Second World War seasoned of a Hamilton-based regiment turns 104 Friday. 

Tony Mastromatteo, present an honorary lance corporal with The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, served successful a Canadian Forces scout platoon remembered for its bravery, but his girl says helium ne'er talked overmuch astir it. 

"I deliberation aft my ma died successful 2017 helium realized that helium should," Mastromatteo's girl Laura LeMesurier told CBC Hamilton successful an email. "We person had immoderate of the champion conversations ever."

The centenarian lives astatine Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre successful Toronto's North York area, wherever they specialize successful veterans care. He's acceptable to observe his day with friends and household astatine a adjacent edifice connected May 16.

Through his daughter, Mastromatteo told CBC Hamilton his day is "nothing special." 

LeMesurier, who lives successful Los Angeles but travelled to Toronto to spot her dada this week, said it's "amazing" to beryllium capable to observe the juncture with him. 

"I emotion proceeding his stories," she said. 

Most veterans chose not to stock their stories, historiographer says

Although his 3 children didn't cognize it until a fewer years ago, Mastromatteo has rather the communicative from his clip warring successful the war, Argylls historiographer Robert Fraser told CBC Hamilton.

When Fraser met Mastromatteo successful the mid '90s, the Burlington,-Ont., based historiographer was moving connected an oral past task and Mastromatteo declined an interview, but astir 3 years ago, helium changed his mind.

Fraser wrote a portion astir the seasoned for the Argylls successful November 2022, covering his aboriginal life, clip successful warfare and beingness after, erstwhile Mastromatteo worked arsenic a clerk astatine the Woodbine racetrack and arsenic a crossing defender successful Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood, and raised 3 children with his woman Mary.

Fraser described Mastromatteo arsenic a "warrior" whose acquisition arsenic a scout successful warfare "almost ever progressive crawling" and often down German lines. 

He said it's not antithetic for a seasoned to support their experiences to themselves. Fraser said he's interviewed hundreds of Second World War veterans and galore said they did not speech astir the warfare with their families.

"The acquisition of decease successful conflict and seeing and being portion of a past — arsenic 1 seasoned enactment it: bought by humor — was conscionable thing astir excessively unspeakable to speech about," Fraser said, adding galore veterans helium interviewed "broke down" recounting battles. 

Argylls remembered for publication to 1944 seizure of Hill 195

Mastromatteo saw his stock of horrors connected the battlefield, Fraser said, including successful 1 notable conflict successful France successful August 1944 erstwhile the Argylls were portion of an effort to seizure and clasp a precocious constituent called Hill 195 aft a erstwhile radical of Canadian soldiers had been unsuccessful. 

Scouts similar Mastromatteo helped usher their forces azygous record crossed force lines astatine nighttime successful what is present remembered arsenic a "great feat of infiltration," Fraser said, calling it "one of the large achievements successful the past of the Argylls."

Mastromatteo was "humble" successful discussing the war, Fraser said, describing his actions arsenic conscionable doing his job. "I did it, did what I was expected to. I wouldn't privation to bash it again, that's for definite – erstwhile was enough," helium quoted the seasoned arsenic saying successful his article.  

Speaking to CBC Hamilton past week, connected the 80th day of Victory successful Europe Day, Fraser said it's important Canadians cognize the stories of radical similar Mastromatteo.

"The satellite remains a unsafe place," helium said, and "there are times erstwhile notions specified arsenic work — which assumes sacrifice— [not just] of clip and vigor but of beingness and limb — are required."

Mastromatteo has stayed progressive with the Argylls. A December 2024 newsletter includes a connection from Mastromatteo astir his acquisition participating successful Hamilton Garrison's parade connected Nov. 10.

"My household and my attendants were a spot acrophobic astir the bedewed weather. I wanted to go, however. I've been bedewed before, and it wasn't night, I didn't person to crawl, and determination was nary 1 shooting astatine me. Not excessively bad!" helium said.

When asked what she hopes radical tin larn from her dad's story, LeMesurier said it's that helium was "just an mean man."

"He needed to measurement up and truthful helium did. We tin each measurement up."