Membertou family prepares for 75th anniversary of D-Day

With Remembrance Day behind them, a Mi'kmaw family from Membertou, N.S., is looking ahead to next year's 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Their ancestor, Charles Doucette, joined the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and landed in France on June 6, 1944.

The infantry regiment moved inland, along with the Sherbrooke Fusiliers tank division. The next day they fought at Authie, not far from the coast near Caen.

They ran out of ammunition and surrendered to the 12th SS Panzer Division, which took the prisoners of war to Abbaye d'Ardenne.

That's where Pte. Doucette and eight other Nova Scotians were among at least 18 Canadians summarily executed by the Nazis.

Despite the passage of time, it doesn't look like Doucette will be forgotten anytime soon.

One soldier's grave from each country involved has been chosen for honours at the anniversary commemoration of D-Day next June in France. Doucette's grave has been selected to represent Canada.

Worked as a carpenter and handyman

Troy Paul, Doucette's grandson, never knew his grandfather, but he learned about him from his mother and aunts and from reading military history.

"He used to work as a carpenter down at the Moxham Castle, of all places," Paul said.

"He was a handyman. He would do anything to help feed and clothe his children. He wasn't the type of man that would sit down and wait for something to happen. He was a kind of a go-getter."

Paul and his family often go to the school in Membertou to talk about the sacrifice Doucette made.

"We want to continue to fight for those ideals of liberty and freedom and justice that even my grandfather thought were something to fight for," Paul said.

"Even though he was a native Mi'kmaw on reserve, you know he didn't have to go and fight. He had kids at home and he kissed goodbye to his baby daughter, Marie, for the last time before he went away, and then he never seen her again."

Faced racism but still went to war

Paul said even though his grandfather faced racism at home, he still donned the Canadian uniform.

"He gave up a lot in a lot of different ways and no matter how old you are, no matter where you live in this country, you have to recognize that freedom isn't free," said Paul.

"You have to fight for everything that you get and oftentimes people want to put you down and oppress you, you know you've got to fight for your freedom. You can't just stand by and be oppressed."

Remembering Doucette and the others who made the ultimate sacrifice is just as important as it always was, Paul said.

"Even today, I mean the rise of anti-Semitism continues to raise its ugly head," he said.

"What's with that? I don't even understand how people fought and died for things like that, in terms of liberty and freedom, and then still today we have such hatred out there. It makes me sad, but you know I'm happy and thankful that my grandfather went and fought with the Canadian army."

Doucette had four daughters: Caroline, Rachel, Elizabeth and Marie.

Marie, the youngest, only met her father briefly and that was just after she was born in 1941. He had already enlisted and was training in Halifax when she was born.

He came to Membertou and spent about 90 minutes with his infant daughter. Then two buddies arrived and told him it was time to go, that they were being called to Halifax and shipped to France.

"So that's the last time that he held me, I guess," said Marie. "That's the only time."

Train never came home

Marie said it was heartbreaking to hear her sisters recall waiting for the train to bring their father back home, but it never did.

Charles couldn't read or write English, but signed his name with an X.

Marie's sisters, and others, said he was a wonderful man, friendly and kind, and was good to her mother.

"I wish I did meet him, and what I hear about him, the stories, I'm so amazed and proud that he went to the war and fought for us," Marie said.

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She and her sisters went to France and visited Abbaye d'Ardenne and his grave at Bé​ny-sur-Mer for the 60th D-Day anniversary.

It was sad, but moving, she said.

"I was proud because he was a Mi'kmaw and was so proud that he fought for me and for my family and for the people all over the world," she said.

"I went to the gravesite there and I couldn't believe it how these people were killed, so many of them in that grave. Even sometimes in nightmares or dreams you can see those graves, how many that fought for us."

Doucette and Paul have begun making plans to attend the ceremonies next summer.