A commemorative ceremony for the 80e anniversary of the Normandy Landings will be held this Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m., at the Veterans Memorial, west of Saint-Germain Street in Rimouski.
The Battle of Normandy in 1944, from the D-Day landings on June 6 to the encirclement of the German army at Falaise on August 21, was one of the decisive events of the Second World War and the scene of some of Canada’s greatest military exploits.
Canadian sailors, soldiers and airmen played a key role in the Allied invasion of Normandy.
“The public is invited to attend the 10 a.m. ceremony. The MP for Rimouski and minister responsible for Bas-Saint-Laurent, Maïté Blanchette-Vézina will make a speech,” mentions the president of the Royal Canadian Legion, Joseph Kaeble VC MM Branch of Rimouski, Josélitho Boudreault.
A private ceremony by invitation will take place starting at noon at the Hôtel Rimouski with a pop-up museum and a four-course banquet.
“We are expecting 130 people, including many dignitaries, deputies and mayors (Sayabec, Causapsal, Mont-Joli and Rimouski). We will have people from everywhere, including the member for Gaspé, Stéphane Sainte-Croix and people from Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, Montreal,” specifies Mr. Boudreault.
Tribute to three Korean War veterans
A digression will be made during the afternoon ceremony to pay tribute to the last three Korean War veterans of the Joseph Keable branch aged between 92 and 94 years old.
“They will be decorated by South Korea with new medals and new certificates personalized with their names. We did not want to wait to pay tribute to them given their age,” says Mr. Boudreault.
The regional event is organized in partnership with the Joe Pearson DCM MM Branch in Mont-Joli.
