Bruce Melanson

A Canadian veteran of the D-Day landings and of the Battle of Normandy on Juno Beach.Bruce Melanson was born in Nova Scotia and joined the army at 16. He transferred over to the artillery and landed in the second wave on the beaches of Normandy with the 3rd Division Light Anti-Aircraft Unit.

"Went right through Belgium, Holland and Germany, from the first battle to the last,'' he said.

After the war he focused his energy on remembrance. "No one should ever forget the 46000 Canadians that died for you and me. It's pretty sad when you take a little kid and send him over there and say 'hey, you are going to die for your country.' It is a wonderful country and we have to fight for our country but it's sad. You can't just remember them in words.''

melanson10

I met mister Melanson in Normandy during the D-Day commemorations on Juno Beach, June 6, 2010.