Local elementary school students learned about the importance of Remembrance Day today from a 100-year-old D-Day veteran.
George Ferguson was born in Scotland and moved to Canada with his family when he was four years old. He first tried to join the service when he was 17, but was turned away.
"We were at war," he said. "I wanted to join, but they told me to go home and ask my mother. They said I wasn't old enough."
After joining the army when he turned 18, Ferguson says he knew early on that he would be going into combat.
"I could tell by the way we were training," he said. "The training was pretty rough."
Ferguson, a classified sniper, says he landed on Omaha Beach in France just a few days after the Normandy landings on D-Day.
"We were marching close to the battle because we could hear the bombing and everything going on," he said. "Anybody who said they weren't worried is lying. We were all wondering where that next bomb was coming from."
Ferguson served on the front lines for five days, on the last of which two German soldiers approached his platoon of 54 men. He was given orders to let them go.
"A buddy and myself were guarding a bridge," he explained. "I said to him, "Why the hell are we letting these guys go through?'"
Ferguson had a hunch the German soldiers were "counting heads." It turned out that he was right.
"That's when they dropped a bomb at the front of our line and another at the back," he recalled. "I watched 34 of my buddies get killed — just like that."
Ferguson was wounded by shrapnel in his right arm, his back, and his stomach. He also suffered muscle damage in one of his legs and injured one of his feet.
"I didn't think I was hurt that bad," he said. "They were minor wounds and not life-threatening."
After receiving medical treatment overseas, Ferguson was moved back home to recover.
On Wednesday afternoon, Ferguson shared his story with a group of local elementary school students at the Orillia Public Library. He hopes they will carry his story on to future generations.
"It makes me feel better to share this with them," he said. "If I don't tell them what happened, people will never know what was done for us."
Ferguson says it's important for people of all ages to hear the stories from veterans.
"We aren't bragging," he said. "We just want people to remember."
Grade 6 Lions Oval Public School student Rykier Rowe says meeting Ferguson was a "great experience."
"I really enjoyed learning from a true veteran who has served," he said. "I couldn't possibly imagine or visualize what he went through."
Rowe says meeting Ferguson has given him a stronger sense of pride for being Canadian.
"On Remembrance Day, my family will be having a moment of silence and wearing a poppy," he said. "Today was a reminder of the importance of honouring the people who served and those who passed away on the battlefield."
