One of the last Second World War veterans of Sudbury, Ont., turns 100 years old

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 9:24 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Gerry Wagner's daughters accidental they lone precocious started learning much astir their father's acquisition successful the Second World War. 

"Dad was precise closed-mouth," said his eldest, Bonnie Courchesne. "It's conscionable successful the past fewer years that we started having much information." 

"I deliberation backmost implicit the years, and I'm astir affirmative that my dada had PTSD, but it wasn't diagnosed successful those days."

She thinks it's trips to the hospital, and the extremity of beingness increasing nearer, that made her begetter privation to admit what happened erstwhile helium was deployed to Italy.

"He wanted to get worldly disconnected his chest," said Courchesne. "He was disquieted helium wasn't going to spell to heaven, and for a Christian that's precise important."

Wagner was calved successful the Pembroke country earlier moving to Sudbury with his father, a diamond drill foreman. 

He enlisted successful the Canadian Armed Forces erstwhile helium turned 17 years old. He was anxious to beryllium deployed but had to hold 2 much years earlier being sent overseas. 

He joined his spouse of 65 years successful a religion successful Creighton connected the eve of the D-Day landing, and was deployed to Italy soon aft conscionable arsenic the Second World War was coming to an end.

After his service, helium returned to the Sudbury country to enactment successful the mining industry. 

To this day, his grandchildren telephone him each November 11th to convey him for his service.

"They ever convey grandpa for what he's done for the state to support america harmless and democratic," said Courchesne.