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-ER DOWNTOWN MILTON Boyish pranks helped mischievous Berube DowntownTŽ__ ps time in France 1 Fam.s Maktwl Ilr nStra, ue1,21 *from REMEMBERING on page Al If l i st one regret lie lit's ils ibat lie dicîn t Write iii ici motre tbr-ottgiîLt ibe iltontibv ovet seas, be saîcl, renieîïtberitng tbe iittes tbe mail woulcl arrive ancl be'd stîeak off alone to savour Alices; worcls "I'd go off by myýelf. Yîm bad to because ni tbe tears you'd sbed - you didu't want otbers to see and say, 'Hes a big baby!"' He was a rotten busband, bc said, for going overseas just two montbs aiter tbey married, but be doesn't regret it. "1 said, 'Aliee, if its tbe last tbing I do, I need to go overseas and go to war.- He svas 23. I bien\ ibe ssr ,îxas serîits and ibîti ibis Geiman gos Hitler) cold take over tbe world. Ibere was no stopping bîm. I tbougbt, 'Holy boy, tbis is goîng to bc a big job."' Berube was îrained as a driver ineebanie wiîb tbe Royal Canadian Elecîrical Mecbanical Engineers and Was part ni tbe Second Canadian Armoured Brigade. He spent bis days repairîng vebîcles - încluding tanks - damaged iii bat- dle and also preparing for tbe aIl- important landîngs in Normandy, wbîcb reqi.ired waterproofing tbe vebicles so tbey could make iî tbrougb several feet ni water 01110 land. Wben D-Day binally came, it [eht like bis meebanical skills were being put to a nerx'e-wracking test wbere a failing grade could mean tbe end ni bis life. Berube and tbe test ni bis regi- ment landed sometime in tbe aiter- noon, at tbe tail end ni tbe moru- ing's surprise invasion - wbat would eventually bc referred to as "tbe beginning ni tbe end ni tbe war." Perbaps ibeir besi preparation was tbe sboî ni rmthiey eacb got beforeband. Soule people gave tbeirs away. Beroibe knew be'd need bis. Wben it was time to drive bis truck off tbe vessel and into about four feet ni water, be waited for tbe "bump" as tbe wbeels became waterlogged. He made it to tbe relative saiety ni sbore, wbere tbe danger ni sink- ing - be enuldut swimt - was replaced by the danger ni being shot to deatb, That nigbt, be tbougbt about Alice. Over the next few montbs, Berube made bis way tbrnugh SBelgium, Hnlland, France and Germany They could ofteu bear shelling in the distancre, though, as mnechan- tes, thex didn't sec mnuch Iront-bune action. Stili, danger was ever pres- ent. One neyer knew when a truck rnight drive over a landmine, cvery driver's worst nightmare. Tbe vamaraderic was good, the lent accommodations weren't. The pieture be paints of a young, impisb soldier with a beni for getting in trouble is no doubt the same man wbo readily got rid ni Alice's good-fnr-notbing boyfriend just days alter be met her. "I just tbink he took advantage ni her. I was muscular then," he said, adding with a grin he's stîli got sometbing, flexing bis arm. Bemube was îmiscbievous, and bios îsb pi înks lielped ptss thc liiie -1 lie das bts telloss, mieni \x cre gotng imto Panis, hc was inrced to remnain bebind. "I did sometbing wronig," he said, not rememberiug wbat. Then there were tbe sînleti Jeceps. Berube said he and a buddv went up and down rows of jeeps - wbile tbeir officer drivers partied ai a botel - looking for one witb tbe keys in tbe ignition. Il wasn't long before tbey were jovriding îbrotîgb town. It was May 8, 1945, as be stood nverlnnking ibe Rbine in Germany, tbat be beard tbe war was over. Ibat meant one tbîng -bc could see Alice. He remnembers tbeir reunion ai Union Station like in was yesterday. "You can imagine wbaî it was like wben sbe first saw me come oui ni tbe train," be said wistiully. "1My parents wanted me to conte witb tbem and sbe said, 'No, yon're comiug witb me." Berube became a mecbanic and tbey settled in Milton in tbe '50s wiîb ibeir two young cbildren. 1le joned tbe Milton Optimisi Club and, later, tbe local Roîyal Canadian Legion. lu two days, Berube was to seutle in bis uew apartmeut in Trenton, just 10 minutes [romt bis daugbter. He pulls out ne ni the few tbiugs still uupaeked, au old-fasb- ioned pboto album a wise ueigb- bour convineed bim flot to tbrow out. It's filled witb small blaek-aud- wbite wartime pbotos ni bimself and bis eronies, smiling and goof- ing around - next to a windmill in Holland. And theres a larger pbotograpb ni Alice, wbich Berube points out, still every bit smitten. Stephanie Haunseli can bic reached at sthiesçeni4,iltoncanadi- anchSmpwn.com.