“When I look back at what I’ve given and the time I’ve put in, I think if someone were to ask me, is your service worth it?
“I would say yes, I would definitely say yes. Because you could not have won that war without my generation.”
When Percival James Smith was only 17 years old, after graduating from high school, he decided to join the Merchant Marine.
On the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, Smith reflected on his experiences in World War II.
“We were so loyal, so passionate, that to us, we weren't family at that point, we were king and country,” Smith said.
When recalling the war, the now 99-year-old said what he remembers most is the devastation it brought.
“I remember one time in London I spent the night in a bomb shelter, and when I came out there was nothing,” Smith said.
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“There was not a single building left in the community, nothing was left. There was a lady standing next to this demolished building, and I walked up to her and asked, 'Is there anything I can do for you?' She said, no, you can't help me because I have no one. My husband and two children are in that rubble, and I won't leave until I see them.”
Smith said it's important to remember D-Day, what happened, how many lives were lost and how the world has changed.
“I think we have to keep these stories alive,” he said. “Because if we don’t, veterans like us, what did we serve for?”
Smith said that when he looks back at the friends he has lost, the acquaintances he has made, the countries he has visited, the people he has met, the churches he has attended and the food he has eaten, it has been an education in itself.
“We live different lives in different countries and we have to respect that and respect everyone's feelings.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
