www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, January 14, 2016 | 8 Second World War veteran shies away from hero label continued from p.6 Battle of the Scheldt, an operation by the First Canadian Army to clear the Scheldt estuary of German forces, so the port of Antwerp could open to Allied supply ships. Kersey said the German troops destroyed the dikes in these areas in an effort to hamper the Canadian advance with extensive flooding. "I've never seen so much mud in my life. We were driving through over a foot of mud. You couldn't see the ditches. You just had to guess where they were," he said. "The Germans knew it was vital for us to take that area if we were going to use Antwerp... So they defended the Scheldt heavily." Despite heavy losses, the Allies succeeded in wrestling the Scheldt away from the Germans with Kersey's unit continuing the war in southern Holland. It was here that Kersey came face to face with the enemy. "It was raining. Some of us were going into town in a jeep and out of the ditch came this German soldier with his arms up. He'd been left behind, he was soaking wet and had no weapon. It was probably in the ditch," said Kersey. "He was just a kid like us. We got him in the jeep and got him dried off and gave him some coffee. They took him back to a prison camp. It was things like that that really drove it home that a lot of them were just kids like us." As the war dragged into winter, the Canadians continued pushing into the Netherlands. Despite the freezing temperatures, Kersey continued carrying vital messages via motorcycle. Even though he wore heavy winter clothing, he remembers having to peel his frozen hands off his handlebars on more than one occasion. It was during this period that Kersey said the impact of the war on the Dutch population really became apparent. A German embargo on all food transports to the western Netherlands combined with a particularly harsh winter resulted in a famine that killed thousands. Kersey remembers seeing Dutch children desperately searching his unit's garbage for scraps of food. When he provided a child a slice of bread, he said, that child would immediately run home to share that bread with their family members. "This was really hard to take," said Kersey. "There are things worse than bullets." The liberation of the Netherlands ultimately put an end to this famine. Kersey visited the Netherlands in the 90s and said the people there still remember what Canadian soldiers did for them and are deeply grateful. Kersey finished the war in Oldenburg, Germany and was released from the Canadian Army on March 18, 1946. After returning to Canada he attended college and became a United Church of Canada minister in 1952. Kersey said he simply felt a call to the ministry and noted the profession really helped him following the war. He married, had five children and now has eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He has called Oakville home since 2003. While Kersey appreciates his recognition by the French government he's not sure the term hero is appropriate for him. "Our freedom was threatened by a madman. Somebody had to stand up and why not me?" he said. "I don't think there was anything heroic about it. I just wanted to do my bit," said Kersey. Our Services Earn 20% credit from physiotherapy · Massage · Acupuncture · Reflexology · Chinese Massage · Fertility Acupuncture · Physiotherapy · · · · 1395 Abbeywood Drive, Unit 14, Oakville Open 7 days a week www.oakville.ca Notice of Nomination for Town of Oakville 2016 Municipal By-Election Ward 2 April 11, 2016 Nominations accepted January 12 to February 26, 2016 Nominations will be accepted for the office of Town Councillor, Ward 2. Nomination forms may be filed at the Town of Oakville Clerk's department, 1225 Trafalgar Road, from January 12 to February 25, 2016, during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), and on nomination day, February 26, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The term of elected office will end November 30, 2018. Under Section 29 (1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 "A person may be nominated for an office only if, as of the day the person is nominated: a) he or she is qualified to hold that office under the Act that creates it; and b) he or she is not ineligible under this or any other Act or otherwise prohibited by law to be nominated for or to hold the office." Nomination and declaration of qualification forms are available in the Clerk's department or on the town's election website at elections.oakville.ca. The following must be provided at the time of filing: · A completed nomination paper; · A declaration of qualification by the candidate; Wednesday, January 20 7-8:30 p.m. St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School 1080 Linbrook Road -- East entrance Join the town and guest speakers at this family friendly session to learn: · The prescribed filing fee in cash, certified cheque, or money order payable to the Town of Oakville, in the amount of $100; and · Candidate identification (driver's licence). Please note: A person who proposes to be a candidate may not accept contributions for election purposes, or incur expenses, until that person has filed a nomination paper with the Town Clerk. For further information as to filing requirements, please visit the Town of Oakville's election website at elections.oakville.ca or contact the Clerk's department at 905-815-6030. Vicki Tytaneck, Town Clerk · How to coexist with wildlife · How to safely enjoy our trails and greenspaces · What the town is doing to support residents and wildlife There is no charge and no pre-registration required. For more information or accessibility needs email serviceoakville@oakville.ca or call 905-845-6601