On the eve of June 6, 1944, Richard Scott Brown, a member of the Royal Air Force 644
Squadron from Port Arthur, Ontario, was towing gliders out under the moonlight.
Just after midnight, these gliders seized bridges in enemy territory. Securing these
access points proved to be critical to the success of Operation Neptune. It meant that
the infantry could send over heavy artillery on the morning of D-Day – and help the men
who had carried out the amphibious landings.
Norman Harold Kirby, a Bren gunner from British Columbia, was one of these men.
A member of the North Shore Infantry Regiment, he stormed Juno Beach on the morning of June
6, 1944. But while making its way to shore, the landing
craft carrying his unit hit a mine. So, Norman Kirby did what he had been trained
to do. He ran.
Without any weapons – save a knife, a fork, and a spoon – Norman Kirby ran across the
beach, towards the enemy. He would go on to fight in Belgium, Germany
and Holland. He was just 19 years old.
And like Norman Kirby, Jean Trempe was also just 19 at the time of the Normandy Landings.
Originally from Montréal, he too found himself far from home.
As he made his way to shore, German bombs rained down on him. For the rest of his life,
he will remember the carnage he saw that day. Cries from comrades wounded by bullets and
bombs. Lifeless bodies strewn across beach. Bodies of men he knew.
Soldiers, lieutenants and even captains died in combat.
Jean Trempe will later say that he witnessed the best and worst of humanity during the
World War. [Pause]
14,000 Canadians stormed Juno Beach that day with no guarantee of victory.
It was a gamble like the world had never seen before, but when duty called, Canadians from
coast to coast to coast answered. The 3rd Division and the 2nd Armoured Brigade
represented all of Canada. They were comprised of men like Richard Scott
Brown, Norman Harold Kirby, and Jean Trempe. Men who came from different parts of our great
country to serve. On the battlefields of Normandy, Francophones,
Anglophones, Indigenous peoples, new Canadians, came together as one.
One fighting force standing on guard for their British, American, and French allies.
One country standing on guard for the wounded soldier, the imprisoned brother, the oppressed
sister, the grieving mother, the deceased father.
Standing on guard for democracy. For liberty. For peace.
Canadian troops advanced further into enemy territory than any other army during the Normandy
Landings. Our soldiers made history that day. But that
night, they mourned for those who would never return.
For fathers, brothers and sons who, 75 years ago today, sacrificed their lives for their
fellow citizens. For future generations. For you and me.
More than 5,000 Canadians lost their lives during the Battle of Normandy.
75 years later, we remember their incredible sacrifice.
In particular, we remember the companies that made up the first wave, like
the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and the Queen’s Rifles of Canada, who suffered tremendous
losses in the first few hours of D-Day. We remember their courage, their tenacity
and their generosity. We thank them not only for their sacrifice,
but for their example. For inspiring countless young men and women
to answer the call of duty like they once did.
For teaching us the value of service. For showing us the true meaning of honour.
We thank them for leaving us a better world than the one they once inherited.
We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the men who fought on the beaches of Normandy.
Thanks to them, we live in peace and liberty. Thanks to them, the values of peace and democracy
define our country. But the legacy they left behind extends beyond
our borders. They shaped the world we live in today.
The friendships they built are the basis for our relations with so many countries today.
They inspired the great international forums that govern the diplomatic world.
Forums like the UN, NATO and the World Bank. Thanks to them, thanks to the sacrifices they
made 75 years ago, our world is safer, more connected, more peaceful than it was then.
I stand here knowing that I can never fully understand what our brave men and women in
uniform experienced and will never forget. Only those who stormed the beaches of Normandy
know the full extent of what unfolded here 75 years ago.
But it is the responsibility of all Canadians to ensure that their story, and their sacrifice,
will never be forgotten. It is up to us to preserve and protect the
values for which they fought. Up to us to uphold their proud legacy.
And we will not let them down. Thank you.