HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-11-10, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011.
Engraved into one wall of the
Korean War Veterans’ Memorial in
Washington, D.C. is the idiom,
“Freedom is not free.”
These words came back to me
when I first learned that my nephews
Shane and Nathan would be
deployed to Afghanistan. In times of
war, brave men and women have to
pay a price for our freedom.
In 2010, just shortly after Nathan
had been deployed, we were on our
way to Ottawa. We pulled off the 401
at Trenton to fill up with gas. A large
crowd had started to gather on the
overpass, over which Canadian flags
were draped. This motorcade scene
on the Highway of Heroes will be
etched in my mind always.
Consumed with emotion, I couldn’t
help but think how war changes the
lives of families forever.
When we arrived home, I tied a
yellow ribbon around a tree on my
front yard and it remained until both
my nephews had returned home
safely from Afghanistan this past
summer. The ribbon has left a
permanent mark around the tree
trunk, a constant reminder of thecourageous men and women whogave their lives for my freedom. Theribbon will go back up on Nov. 11,
Remembrance Day, to show my
support for all Canadian soldiers.
I’ve penned these articles to
honour the Canadian soldiers who
have fought so valiantly for the
freedoms we enjoy and, in
particular, the members of my family
who are serving in the Canadian
military.
– Shari (Loder) Simpson
“Our sons, Shane and Nathan,
believe in helping others and doing
what is right,” says Keith Loder.
“They feel every person should have
the right to freedom, something that
their grandfather, Russell Cook
strongly believed as well.”
Cook was born on August 1, 1924
and raised in Westfield, northwest of
Blyth. He worked on a farm stooking
wheat but at the age of 19, as World
War II carried on, he had a strong
calling to enlist in the army. He felt
it was the right thing to do.
After only seven months of basic
training, Cook sailed from Halifax,
to Liverpool, England, on the troop
ship, Isle de France. From there, he
was transported to Aldershot, a town
located about 60 kilometres
southwest of London, known today
as the “Home of the British Army”.
On June 6, 1944, an
announcement came over the loud
speaker as the soldiers were eating
breakfast saying that British allies
were invading France. After
breakfast, the soldiers were told to
collect their pay. When they were
paid in francs, Cook knew for sure
that he was heading to France.
Only four days after D-Day, Cook
found himself trudging in the
English Channel towards Juno
Beach, the same shores where
thousands had been gunned down
just days earlier. Many of the men
had become deathly ill from being
tossed around in small, 10-person
boats.
An army truck transported them
about eight miles inland to the front
lines. Here, Cook bunked with Wally
Bowen, also from Blyth. This was
the second person Cook had metfrom Blyth while overseas. He raninto Bert Elliott at a bus stop whenhe first landed in London.
Unfortunately, both men were later
killed in battle.
At first, there wasn’t much action
in the front lines. Then one evening,
near the city of Caen, air bombing
attacks on the Germans could be
heard all night. In the morning, the
troops moved forward into the
bombed wheat fields, expecting that
the Germans had retreated because
of the earlier air attack.
Without warning, bullets began
flying in all directions. As Cook
stepped into the hedgerow, a bullet
pierced his leg and he fell forward.
Blood poured from his wound.
As he reached for bandages to tie
his injury, he heard a German tank
coming toward him. Looking to the
sky, he said to himself, “If there’s a
God in heaven, then get me out of
this mess.” Miraculously, the tank
blew up in flames.
Cook made his way back about a
quarter of a mile, where another
soldier helped him to a nearby
farmhouse that was packed with
wounded soldiers. They attempted to
transport the injured men to safety
but every time they tried, they were
bombarded with more shells. Later
that afternoon, at the back of the
house, where many suffering men
lay waiting for help, a shell hit and
the room blew up.
The next morning, Cook and the
rest of the wounded were transported
to a hospital south of London.
After he waited on a cot in the
hallway with no food for three days,
the bullet was finally removed from
his leg and handed to Cook. He
carried the bullet in his pocket as a
constant reminder.
About a week later, his
commanding officer asked, “Mr.
Cook, how do you feel about going
back to France?”
Cook replied, “I don’t want to go.”
“You’ll be all right,” the officer
reassured and Cook was sent back to
France.
When Cook returned to Caen, the
city had been completely
demolished by German troops. They
were on the move and the British
forces and their allies chased them
through France, Belgium and
Holland.One evening while in Holland,Cook and his comrades were beingtrained on a land/water tank when it
got stuck in the mud. The Germans
heard them trying to free the tank
and began firing. Tracers lit up the
sky and Cook was able to escape to
a nearby dike where he hid until the
Germans left.
On Oct. 17, the Germans attacked
again. Cook made his way through a
ditch filled with water, and then ran
from one barn to another closer to
the dike.
Finally inside, he squatted down to
look through a two-foot square hole
to see where the strikes were coming
from. He stood up to turn, but the
force of a bullet to his thigh knocked
him down, the pain unbearable.
One of his compatriots cut off his
pant leg, bandaged the wound and
then assisted him back to the first
barn. Cook believed that this was
when he lost the bullet that he had
always carried in his pocket.
Because Holland had no hospital,
Cook had to be driven to Belgium. It
was a long and painful ride, made
somewhat easier by a shared bottle
of cognac.
When he awoke from surgery, he
had a cast on his leg, with the words
‘nerve injury’ written on the plaster.
He didn’t know what this meant
until another injured man mentioned
to Cook that he would be going
home because he had a nerve injury.
Then it registered; he was going
home too.
Cook was transferred to a hospital
in Colchester, England and remained
there until Christmas. He returned
home by boat in January 1945,
landing in Halifax.
On a weekend in January, leaving
hospital on a pass, he proposed to his
long-time girlfriend, Marion Garritt.
With his hospital days finally over,
he married Marion on his birthday,
Aug. 1.
For years Cook didn’t like to talk
about the war and it took decades for
him to share.
“It was the worst experience of my
life. If anyone who is fighting on the
front line says they’re not scared,
then they’re not telling the truth,” he
said.
Even though he didn’t like to share
Local hero leads way for soldier grandchildren
A check-up
Private Derek Cook, originally from Blyth, is currently
serving as a Weapons Technician at CFB Petawawa (2nd
Service Battalion), and has been for the past four years.
Here he is seen conducting a pre-fire check on a C6
machine gun. (Photo submitted)
Given his wings
The late Russell Cook was able to award Major Shane Loder, his grandson, with his pilot
wings at his graduation ceremony years ago at CFB Portage La Prairie in Manitoba. (Photo
submitted)
The HPHA is an Alliance of four hospitals, including
Clinton Public Hospital, St. Marys Memorial Hospital,
Seaforth Community Hospital and Stratford General
Hospital. We invite our patients and/or family
members to share the experiences you have had
with us, so that we can learn from your stories and
provide the best possible care to meet your needs.
You may also be contacted with an invitation for
additional participation in the project.
Have a story to share and not sure what to include?
Please contact Dianne Gaffney @ 519-272-8210, Ext. 2316
or visit www.hpha.ca
Patient Engagement Project
“The Voice of the Patient is the Most Important Voice”
We want to
hear from you!
Please share your stories with us in writing by
either mailing, emailing or faxing your letters
by November 25, 2011 to:
Dianne Gaffney, Patient Engagement Project Leader
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
46 General Hospital Drive
Stratford, ON N5A 2Y6
Email: dianne.gaffney@hpha.ca
Fax: 519-274-8280
By Shari Simpson
Special to The Citizen
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