Jenny Aebig had stopped in to share some details about her granddad, Robert Aebig, one of the last surviving veterans of the Battle of Normandy and the Allied liberation of Europe which began June 6, 1944.
But a few minutes after leaving, she called back, with one other detail.
“He was my best friend,” she said of her granddad, who died March 7 at age 97.
Robert was a Canadian veteran who participated in the Battle of Normandy, launched on D-Day, June 6, 1944, when Allied troops landed on the beaches of northern France to push German forces back to end the Second World War.
Through her granddad, Jenny just got snippets about those heroic days.
Robert served as an airframe mechanic with 415 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force and was first stationed in Liverpool, Eng. He was then sent to Europe two or three days after D-Day to provide support for the Night Intruder squadron as part of the Normandy campaign.
He told her previously “he was pretty lucky not to get shot at,” adding he was one of the lucky ones.
When the fighting was over, Robert, along with thousands of other veterans, put aside their war experiences and got back to work.
After the war, he ran his own concrete reinforcing bar business. He also worked on the construction of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. It was by sheer luck, after calling his workers in to be paid, that he and his crew escaped disaster when the bridge collapsed while under construction in June 1958, killing 79 workers.
Jenny remembers her granddad maintaining his military comportment his whole life. He was never one to go out dressed too casually.
“He dressed up every single day. I never saw him wearing sweat pants or pyjamas,” she said.
And if you get into an argument with someone, “He always said, ‘Just be as gracious as you can be.’ It’s good advice.”
Jenny helped her granddad a lot in his last few years. He lived independently until a few weeks before he died and was able to walk by himself until age 97. He died a few weeks after going into residential care.
“Everybody loved him. He had a good sense of humour,” Jenny said.
“He said the one thing about living so long was, all your friends die.”
Robert also treasured his collection of medals that detailed his military service. He received a France and Germany star, recognizing his service in those countries. And in a gesture of gratitude from the Netherlands, Robert received the Gold Medal of the House of Orange.
One award, though, came later in his life.
After staff at the Royal Canadian Legion No. 88 applied on his behalf, Robert received a package in the mail two years ago. The ornate certificate bore his name and came from the president of the French republic. The document stated that Robert had been awarded knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour.
The Legion of Honour award is the country’s highest and recognized Robert’s role in the liberation of France from German occupation.
The accompanying letter from the French ambassador showered praise on the old soldier.
“This distinction illustrates the profound gratitude that France would like to express to you. It is awarded in recognition of your personal involvement in the liberation of our country during World War Two,” said the letter.
“Through you, France remembers the sacrifice of all your compatriots who came to liberate French soil.
“Please allow me to express once again, France’s respect for your contribution to the combat that led to the liberation of my country,” the letter said.
Legion president Jim MacDonald said staff filled out the application for the award and Robert signed it, adding it’s the only such medal given in Maple Ridge and only a few others have been issued to other Metro Vancouver veterans.
Robert used to joke, MacDonald added, that it took the French government more than 70 years to get around to sending it.
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