Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 191 BOUDREAU, Bernard Joseph WWII Bernard was born in Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia in 1916. He was a member of the Merchant Marines and later joined the Canadian Army in Halifax becoming Spr. B. J. Boudreau of the Royal Canadian Engineers and later served overseas as a combat medic during World War II. As a result of his training, he served as the first aide person in his places of deployment and with the Saint John’s Ambulance Organization for his remaining working life. The only two things he ever mentioned about his service were the terror the buzz bombs caused and how London’s signage was mixed-up to confuse the enemy spies. Acadians on Isle Madame, Cape Breton had a unique problem. Their education was taught in oral Acadian French, their first language, but reading and writing were taught in English. As a result, Bernard spoke French but read and wrote English. Soldiers in Bernard’s situation were sent to Calgary’s Currie Barracks to learn to speak English. According to his mother, fate saved Bernard’s life twice. Once he was on guard duty in the pouring rain, instead of sleeping under a tank which sank in the mud killing all four men underneath, and the second time was on D-Day when he collapsed due to a bleeding ulcer while inline to board a troop carrier which was destroyed with all hands on board. Bernard felt he was saved for a specific purpose. He would say, “You never know whose life you are to affect in a day and perhaps a simple smile to a complete stranger could change that person’s life completely and they could go on to save hundreds of lives.” Bernard died in 1981, a month short of his 66th birthday, but he was grateful for each and every day that God gave him and never complained regardless of the physical pain he suffered during his lifetime. Bernard was proud to have served the country he loved and only asked that we understood and respected our gift of freedom. Bernard was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 150 and 151 for 27 years. Submitted by Branch #150, The Royal Canadian Legion
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