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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Côté, a celebrated Canadian veteran of D-Day who lived a storied life both on and off the battlefield, has died at the age of 101.
Ernest Côté was a retired lieutenant colonel and veteran of the Second World War. In 2004 he received France's Legion of Honour Award for his military service in France during the war.
At the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, Ernest Côté, Battle of Normandy Veteran, read the names on a D-Day memorial before the 70th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy ceremony at Juno Beach, Courseulles-sur-Mer, France on June 6, 2014.
As a lieutenant-colonel, Mr. Côté was a senior planner for the invasion of Normandy and the logistics officer with the 3rd Canadian Division, which landed on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944.
He was mentioned in dispatches for his role in the historic invasion that led to the downfall of Nazi Germany and made a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by King George VI, an honour that was on display in the hallway of his Ottawa home for the rest of his life.
After the war, he had a distinguished career in the federal government as a diplomat and later a senior official. Mr. Côté participated in the first meetings for the United Nations General Assembly in London, New York and Paris and helped draft the charter of the World Health Organization.
During the FLQ crisis in 1970, he was deputy solicitor-general and deeply involved in the response to the terrorist front. Mr. Côté personally knew every prime minister from MacKenzie King to Pierre Trudeau. Photo: MCpl Marc-Andre Gaudreault, Canadian Forces Combat Camera.
On behalf of a grateful nation, we salute you Mr. Côté for your dedication and service to our nation.
#TGGF #normandy #freedom #letsneverforget #chivenation #WWII #thankyou #greatestgeneration #usa #neverforget #VFW #ABC #NBC #CBS #Fox #veterans #rememberthosewhoserved #Facebook #d-day #CNN #BBC #junobeach
Remember Those Who Served
The Greatest Generations Foundation
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mr. Robert Luther "Bob" Sales Sr., an Amherst County native who landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and fought for six months until he was seriously wounded, died Monday. He was 89.
Mr. Sales was a member of Company B, 116th Infantry Regiment from Lynchburg. He told The News & Advance in a 2011 interview that he was the only one of the 30 men in his landing craft to survive D-Day.
In that interview, he said he still thought of those he served with as young men having a good time in their youth.
"All these boys that were killed, I will remember as they were. I don’t think of them as being an old man like I am," Sales said then.
When he was wounded in Germany, he partially lost his sight but gained some back after a lengthy hospital stay.
After the war, Mr. Sales worked as a land developer and pulp wood dealer, eventually retiring as owner of Sales and White Timber Company. He married and had a son.
Last year, Mr. Sales was one of six World War II veterans to be made a knight of the Legion of Honor by French President Francois Hollande.
On behalf of a grateful nation, we salute you Mr. Sales for your dedication and service to our nation.
#TGGF #normandy #freedom #letsneverforget #chivenation #WWII #thankyou #greatestgeneration #usa #neverforget #VFW #ABC #NBC #CBS #Fox #veterans #rememberthosewhoserved #Facebook #d-day #CNN #BBC #army
Remember Those Who Served
The Greatest Generations Foundation
VETERANS OF THE WEEK:
Mr. Ronald Scharfe – World War II Veteran
United States Navy
Battles: Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Korea
Short Bio: Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1927, Mr. Ronald Scharfe entered into active service in November 16, 1944 with the United States Navy on a fake birth certificate.
During his time in boot camp, Scharfe spent most of his time in amphibious training learning to operate a LCVP and he states, “I was damn good at my job.” Throughout his time in the service Scharfe served in the Asiatic Pacific Theater aboard various ships including the USS. Vanderburgh (APB-48) and USS. Romulus (ARL-22).
Prior to the Iwo Jima campaign, his skipper promoted Scharfe a coxswain in their LCVP boats (Higgins Boat) for the Iwo Jima battle arriving on Iwo Jima D-Day plus 6. After Iwo Jima, Scharfe was then ordered to Okinawa, where he served in a similar capacity at Buckner Bay unitl December 1945, before providing assistance in Hiroshima, Japan.
After the war, Scharfe spent 22 years in the Chicago Fire Department before operating his own business until retirement. Scharfe enjoys his retirement in beautiful Missoula, Montana with his wife of 47 years.
Next month, Mr. Ronald Scharfe and a large group of twenty combat veterans will make their historic return to the Pacific for the 70th anniversary of Iwo Jima sponsored by The Greatest Generations Foundation (www.tggf.org.)
On behalf of a grateful nation, we salute you Mr. Scharfe for your dedication and service to our nation.
#TGGF #iwojima #freedom #letsneverforget #chivenation #WWII #thankyou #greatestgeneration #usa #neverforget #VFW #ABC #NBC #CBS #Fox #veterans #rememberthosewhoserved #Facebook #japan #CNN #BBC #navy
Remember Those Who Served
The Greatest Generations Foundation
