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Lucknow Sentinel, 2009-11-18, Page 3Goddard will always remember his "buddies" From page 2 Gambling as he enjoyed and only days before the invasion, Goddard won 75 -pounds in'a craps game; the equivalent to about $350 Canadian at the time and went AWOL with a friend to indulge in -London They ended up at the lux- urious Savoy Hotel, where they found themselves as two ."lowly soldiers amongst Colonels and Generals and were completely ignored by the wait staff. His friend asked him for 10 Shillings and then reefed on the wait- er's coat tail, almost pulling him over. He then told the waiter he could take the money and go, or serve them for the night for tips. "He stood behind us all night long," he said. But the. night cost them a long walk back to camp, a week's pack drill and serv- ing duty upon their return ; to camp the next morning. But he ended up making even more money working for the officer punishing him, so ; it worked out in the long run, Goddard laughed. Prior to the inva- sion, the forces were paraded in front of the US gen- eral Dwight D. Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Goddard recalled how the invasion force was described as "the besting fighting machine there ever was in the world." He said. The Queen's Own was coined the `Glory Regiment' to lead the Canadians into battle, as it was the unit to complete any task without defeat. "Even our bands were the best," he said. On D -Day, the Queen's Own would sustain the most Canadian casualties of the day with 143 dead, but securing their objective seven - miles inland. Goddard was a part of the. fight for half a day, but finished it at an aid station, on a stretcher, in agile about a foot deep with shrapnel wounds through the right side of his body and leg. Days later they had to remove his gan- grenous right arm. They had trained for the invasion in rough waters in the days prior, but sol- diers were still sea sick. Goddard, who was one of the only ones not sick, was told to sit down with the guys to talk and look out on the sea crests to keep their minds off the voyage. "One guy threw up his false teeth," he said. He remembered how D -Day began with the trip across the channel on an old passenger ship, which .had landing craft jammed together alongside it. Goddard didn t recall much machine gun fire didn't begin until the landing craft opened its ramp, when German sol- diers began to cut down his friends as they ran out the front onto the shore. "I went over the side to avoid the gunfire," he said. "I took in a bangalore (explosive) and I couldn't touch bot- tom, so I had to push like hell to get it ashore." Adrenaline took over and his rush to the first brow "= at.- Bernieraes sur Mer, where they success- fully blew up the barbed wire to get further up the beach. Although he could hear the gun- fire, "I never had a target to shoot, I couldn't see noth- ing, ' he said. "We were. lucky. Most of the Germans were on holidays at the time of the inva- sion." His - good friend, Buck Smith, fought about 600 yards past a hotel now known - as _ 'The Canadian House' to a shed further way "that seemed like an awful long way." They took shelter and inside there' were "great big drums of wine." "Everybody wanted a drink, but no one was brave enough but . Buck," said Goddard. "He said it was damn good." They took a break ata farm and dug up some potatoes and onions from the farmer's garden and "boiled it to mush." It would become his family's favourite meal to this day, with a few extra spices. They stayed at the farm for a short while before contin- uing their advance. Then they encoun- tered Germans heading in their direction. "I remember the . tanks coming down the road," said • Goddard. "I yelled to the men in my platoon to get off the road, because the tanks would run over you, but in the grass they can't see as good. Everyone was nervous." But the Gennans had teen : him and: his men take .cover. "All of a sudden, BANG! A mortar shell hit a tree above my head and the blast hit my night side. I can remember two stretcher-bearers took off my- web- bing and back- pack." In shock, he does- n't remember much of went on between then and his return I' to an aid station,: where the medics put him in ; a foot - deep hole to hide his body from the wind and flying objects. Not a prior- ity medical case at the time, he watched as medical staff carried out sol- dier after soldier that D -Day had claimed and "rolled them off the stretch- er" into a neat pile of bodies. "I was the only one that survived that," he said. "Seven or nine of my guys died that day- in our. group. I had five big holes in my ann and there was no way of sav- ing it." His wounds had gone gangrenous from the elbow and spread to his entire arm from his long wait for treatment and amputation was the only way to avoid blood poison- ing. To compound the injury, he was allergic to penicillin and sulphur and his antibiotic treat- ments made him even more ill. The wound in his leg was a hole straight through and the nurses would soak a cotton swab in alco- hol to disinfect it, which was incredi- bly painful, he said. E a c h Remembrance Day Goddard thinks of "all his old buddies" • and tries to attend the Legion : cere- monies on Nova 11 if he's able. Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - Page 3 4th Annual Mitten Tree The Elves at the Lucknow Sentinel invite you to help them fill their mitten tree again this Christmas. Until Dec. 8, donations of new mittens, gloves, scarves and hats can be used to decorate the tree at the Sentinel office. All donations will be delivered to the Salvation Army, in Wingham. They will become part of the Christmas packages delivered to area children who are not as fortunate as others. For more Information speak to any of the staif at the Sentinel - 50-528282. 2009 Grand uis Ultimate Editio Loaded, Including leather, finished in white, 31,200 kms. Balance of .tactory warirau�ty '•Yr7$t'S" 1 ... $25,995 mot Huron County Health Unit 50-482-3416 or 1-877-837-6143 www.huroncounty.ca/heatth Vaccine CLINICS for NEW priority groups Clinics ate scheduled for: • ALL CHILDREN 6 months to 18 years old *Adults 86 yes and older • Anycsio 6 months and older with a chronic medical condition (diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, conditions that weaken your immune system) • Swine and poultry workers • Household contacts and sire providers of: - Infants under'6 months of age - People with weakened immune systems • AN pregnant women • Health care workers, emergency responders, and correctional facility workers Afro doses, 21 days apart, are needed for. • children under 3 years children under 10 years who are immunocornprornised EXETER Royal Canadian Legion, 316 William Street Wednesday, November 18 from 3 p.m. . 7 p.m. WINGHAM Royal Canadian Leglon,183 Victoria W Thursday, November 19 from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. CLINTON Beside Huron County Health Unit, 77722D London Rd Friday, November 20 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. GODERICH Suncoast Mail, 397 Bayfield Road Saturday, November 21 from 10 a.m. - 5 o.m. SEAFORTH Seaforth Comm. Centre, 122 Duke St. Monday, November 23 from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Please come prepared to wait, possibly outside. Bring snacks, toys for children, camp stool if standing is difficult. Wear short sleeves! Some doctors' offices and family health teams are offering vaccine for their patients. Check with your health care provider if you are unable to come to a clinic.