One hundred years after the battle of Vimy Ridge, William McGregor, Second World War veteran from Bonnyville, stood on the very soil Canadian soldiers once battled for.
McGregor toured the ridge among thousands of other Canadians, including some of the areas where our country's bravest marched, battled, and won.
“You just feel gratitude towards what the veterans went through. That was part of the 100-year celebration; they honoured those veterans, and you do feel that (when you're there),” William said.
The 16-day tour was part of the centennial commemoration of Vimy Ridge. It included expeditions of areas where some of Canada's greatest battles were fought, including the beaches of Normandy where McGregor himself had been a medic during the Second World War in 1945.
It had been the first time since the war that he had stepped foot in Normandy.
“It‘s something to go back and see. It has changed, the towns that were knocked down have been built up again, so it's different,” he described.
William's son Lloyd McGregor, joined him on the trip from April 1 to 15, and said he was proud to stand by his father's side as they visited the grave of John McGregor, William's brother.
John was part of a different regiment than William, and died in battle during the Second World War at the age of 24.
A push for ground sent John to the front lines and on his way he ran into William. The brothers didn't know at the time that this conversation would be their last.
“I saw John when he was moving to the front. We talked for 15 minutes or so, and then he went on. I'm not sure if he was killed that day or not, but it was about then. I didn't hear about it until a month later,” said William.
One month after their last conversation, William received a letter from his sister informing him of his brother's passing.
”It had to be within a day or so, I think that same day probably,” he continued.
Being able to stop at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and pay respects to a brother and uncle was important to the two travelers.
William said it meant a lot to be able to do so, not only to his brother, but also to another fallen soldier, Herve Alfred Labrecque.
Labrecque was a rifleman who died serving his country. He was executed as a prisoner at the Chateau d'Audrieu in 1944. At 22-years-old he was buried in France at the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.
Those were among the many grave sites they visited during their trip.
“We were seeing young men, some of them not even 20 or in their early 20's. That was the majority of them. Their life should have just been ahead of them, but it was over,” Lloyd said, adding throughout the tour he learned of the obstacles soldiers faced during the war, and the magnitude of what they went through.
“I find that going to these spots and seeing the hills and Vimy Ridge… and thinking that these men were trying so hard to come over that ridge to come up and over carrying their rifle. The other guys sitting there with machine guns in very established positions, how that small hill became a mountain, simply because of the obstacles,” described Lloyd.
Town of Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewski also went on the tour at Vimy Ridge, and has a personal connection to the war.
“My grandfather fought on the ridge, so for me, it was quite emotional and quite personal to be 100 years later, on the ridge and in close proximity to where he made his assault,” he described. “It was a very moving moment.”
William added it was sad to see how many had to pay the ultimate price.
“Not just a few, but thousands and thousands,” he said.
The opportunity to attend the Vimy Ridge memorial on April 9 was a once in a lifetime experience that thousands took advantage of. Over 25,000 Canadians were in attendance.
“It was an experience of a lifetime,” said Sobolewski.
Over 11,000 of those in attendance were students from various schools.
Sobolewski also travelled with William to visit John's grave, and described the moment as moving.
“It was very special. I was very privileged to be a part of that,” he said. “There was a bit of a connection there because I know William; here we were visiting his brother that he saw for whatever short duration that was, and the next day he was gone.”
Throughout the trip, Sobolewski and the other Canadians on the tour heard stories of William's time in the war.
“He was able to regale everyone with tales and memories of his experiences in the Second World War, some were moving, some were touching and some were funny,” Sobolewski said, adding students would often take advantage of the opportunity to speak with a veteran one-on-one.
Lloyd said hearing the ceremony on the radio, seeing it on television, or reading it in the newspaper doesn't give you the same connection as being there in person.
“I felt very honoured to go, and to see the respect and care others both on our tour and at the sites we visited, expressed towards him as a Second World War veteran. That was very moving to see.”
