LEST WE FORGET 273 ODDAN, Harold Engman WWII Harold was born on March 12, 1911, in Eli, Manitoba. He moved with his parents in 1912 to Hatton, SK where he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940 and was posted in Calgary, AB. He married Adrie Reynoldson on April 18, 1942 and his daughter Sharon was born on September 7, 1943. He served with the #419 Moose Squadron and in January 1944, he was posted in England. Harold was killed in action during a night raid in Belgium on May 13, 1944. OPDAHL, Joar WWII Joar Opdahl was born on June 4, 1901, in Overhalla, Norway. In 1927, he immigrated to Canada seeking employment. He worked as a farm labourer near Hawarden, Saskatchewan and there he met his future wife, Pearl Pederson. They were married in 1928 and blessed with nine children, six born before the Second World War and three born after his return from overseas. Spr. Joar Opdahl enlisted in the armed forces in the spring of 1940. After basic training at Dundurn Military Camp, he traveled by train across Canada and was deployed overseas from Halifax. He served overseas for five years with the Royal Canadian Engineers as a bulldozer operator on the front lines building roads, airport runways, and bridges. He received five medals. At the conclusion of the war, he received a certificate of merit from Field Marshall B.L. Montgomery citing recognition for “outstanding good service, and shown great devotion to duty, during the campaign in northwest Europe”. Maj. J.S. Parker, the commanding officer of the RCE, recommended Joar for this recognition. He was one of two, from the 21st Army Group, to receive this citation. After his safe return to Canada in July 1945, he resumed farming land near Hanley, SK, including a parcel of land that he received for his overseas service from the Veteran’s Land Act. He was an active member of Royal Canadian Legion Hanley Branch 258. Joar resided in Hanley until his death on August 24, 1972, after a battle with cancer.
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