B.C. veterans of the Second World War were celebrated at a dinner hosted by Finance Minister Michael de Jong on behalf of the provincial government that marked the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
B.C. veterans were presented with the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur, France’s highest honour, by Consul General of France in Vancouver M. Jean-Christophe Fleury, on behalf of the President of France. In recognition of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the government of France is bestowing the award on up to 390 Canadian veterans, 66 of whom are from B.C.
The Province of British Columbia is supporting B.C. veterans who will travel to Normandy, France, to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. British Columbia is contributing $2,000 to each travelling veteran, each with an accompanying person, matching funding provided through a federal program that supports veterans travelling to France for the commemoration.
June 6, 2014, marks 70 years since allied troops landed along 80 kilometres of beaches in Normandy in 1944. Sir Winston Churchill called Operation Overlord, “Undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place. It involves tides, wind, waves, visibility, both from the air and the sea standpoint, and the combined employment of land, air and sea forces in the highest degree of intimacy and in contact with conditions which could not and cannot be fully foreseen.”