Year by year, we are losing our WWII veterans. Soon, there won’t be any left.
If you think about it, an 18-year-old man entering the war in 1942 would be 100 years old today. According to Statistics Canada, the average life expectancy of a man in Canada is 79.8 years.
And the likelihood of a man living to be 100 is small. In 2021, only 1830 men in the country were 100 years old or older. Your chance of making it to your hundredth birthday is about 2.3%.
But Capt. William “Bill” Wilson of High River has not only beaten the odds, he is still going strong.
The WWII veteran recently celebrated his centennial at HMCS Tecumseh, a naval base in Calgary, with family, friends and supporters on Oct. 25.
Dedicated Life Long Service
Wilson joined the Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve at age 18 in 1942 and was present during the D-Day landings at Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.
The Winnipeg-born veteran received the Atlantic Star for his service in the war and relocated to Alberta in the 1970s. Wilson continued his service with the naval reserves after the war, retiring in 1979 with the rank of Captain. During his time in the reserves, he was awarded Officer of the Order of Military Merit, Commander of the Order of St. John, and Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy.
Even after his military service ended, he still supported the armed services as a civilian and was instrumental in creating the Naval Museum of Alberta Society, which was established in 1988. He later helped develop The Military Museums, in Calgary, Western Canada’s largest tri-service military educational institution.
The Centennial Celebration
Fellow High River resident and premier Danielle Smith was on hand to congratulate Capt. Wilson.
“While so many others perished (during the Battle of Normandy), Captain Bill survived this historic battle, and that’s something that we should all be grateful for. Because of every one of those brave soldiers, sailors and aviators, we are able to enjoy the freedoms that we have today,” said Smith.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Foothills MP John Barlow were also at the celebrations.
The huge crowd of supporters thanked Capt. Wilson for his years of service and The Rockies.Life wants to express our gratitude not only to Capt. Wilson, but to all our veterans who served to ensure our freedom and democracy in Canada.
Happy Birthday, Capt. Wilson!
Lest we forget.
