The Look of Love

He wore a patch over one eye, his gait ambled with a cane.  She, a lady in every sense of the word, impeccably groomed, always dressed wearing a skirt and cardigan.   

Photo from CBC website

This couple lived around the corner from me for several years.  I never once saw one without the other. 

​Each time our paths crossed, I witnessed the same look of love the camera captured many years ago in the picture above.  

The couple always made a point of stopping to smile and exchange a few words. It was obvious his spirit was stronger than his body, and so was his character. 

I didn’t learn his story until after he died. 
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It had been some time since I'd seen the couple, and one day on my walk, I saw her outside their home.  She told me her husband had died and she was moving in with her son.

We chatted for a bit and she said:  “My husband’s name was Léo Major.  He was a war hero and is buried at the National Field of Honour. He landed on the beaches in Normandy on D Day and was single-handedly responsible for liberating a Dutch city from German army occupation.  Look him up.  You'll be amazed by his story”.

So I did, first on Wikipedia, and then on CBC.  His story is amazing, and I learned why he wore a patch over an eye, and why he needed a cane.  

​Many of us owe our life and freedom to men like Léo Major.

​A commemorative ceremony is being held today at the National Field of Honour and this week marks the 75th anniversary of D Day.  

Please take a moment out of your day to remember and perhaps share the story of Léo Major in the Wikipedia and CBC links below.   

We never die as long as our story continues to be told.  

​en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9o_Major
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www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/leo-major-montreal-zwolle-nazis-1.4660487