Remembrance Day in Canada is November 11, the same as Veteran's Day in the U.S. But I've noticed the red poppies, symbol of the day, still being worn by folks in our community. Maybe it's a good idea to think of them, the ones that gave their lives for our freedoms, more than one day a year. For many of the families, these heroes are always near in thought. One such young man is Roy E. Carter. Roy was a 23 year old RCAF navigator on a Halifax bomber that was shot down by the German's over Holland in 1944. Roy evaded capture but three other crew were imprisoned in POW camps. He ended up in the home of the Vandenbroeks a few days later. That is Roy in the photo above with my sisters-in-law Willie and Joanne, ages 3 & 4. The three other young men are Martein, Fritz, & Harrie VanLankvelt, the girls uncles. Roy had a 7-yr. old brother at home named Fred. It was this same Fred and his wife Margaret that came to our home yesterday. It was the young Fred who carried the telegram out to the field on their farm to his dad. The telegram bore the sad news that Roy was missing in action. Fred, the youngest of the Carter's 6 children, has followed and documented the saga of Roy's last days in Holland for many years. He has been to Holland twice, visited the scene where Roy was shot by gestapo henchmen several days after leaving the Vandenbroek home, and has spoken with eye witnesses of the sad event. There are many, many lives and stories that have surfaced through his inquiries. He and Margaret have made many friends along the way. We now are among those friends. Our link came about earlier this year when this old photo was found in the attic of the Vandenbroek's former home in Boekel, Holland. The current home owners were working on restorations in the old house when the photo was found. They took it to the local museum, it was posted on an online war memorial site, and was spotted by Fred Carter who then made contact with a cousin in Boekel, . Martin and his sisters were contacted by the cousin and we all saw this photo for the first time. Martin's dad had tried to contact the Carter family in the early 50's, but nothing came of that search at that time. All these years later, at last, we got to hear the rest of the story. We photographed Willie & Joanne with Roy's brother Fred 67 years after the original photo was taken. Martin was not in that old photo, he was probably hanging on dad's leg while the picture was taken, or in the house with mom. Peetra hadn't made her arrival in the world at that date. What a day it was, yesterday. Truly a Day of Remembrance for this family.
Pictured, left, is Fred Carter, Joanne, Willie, & Martin holding Roy's rucksack and his war medals. The right photo is of Fred, Martin, Peetra, Willie's husband Tony, and Willie looking at photos, memorabilia, and documents
from Fred's carefully gathered collection. Gus Vandenbroek had collected his own photos, letters, and souvenirs of the era in an album which we shared with Fred. Included was a poem written for the Vandenbroek family in Roy's own hand.
This a follow up on my Fall Colors series of blogs. Not as flamboyant as the glowing leaves that adorned them the past few weeks, the tall trees emote beauty of another sort: dignity and strength. The sharp shadows they cast remind me of the far-reaching influence the senior members in our midst have over the world through their quiet prayers. Lives that may appear dull and lifeless may have very deep spiritual roots and a very warm and loving interior life. I think of my mother Phyllis and my grandmother Marjorie whose prayers sustained us throughout their waning years. My own snowy head reminds me how deep my roots have grown and how my prayerful influence must be exercised, providing strength for the next generation.
