Strangers connect: 2 Métis women discover their family members' shared military history
CBC
Two Métis women living in different provinces recently discovered they had family members who landed on Juno Beach together on D-Day.
While researching her family history, Delores LaPratt learned her Métis grandfather, Francis Xavier Le Prêtre from Peace River, Alta., landed on Juno Beach during the Second World War.
Recently LaPratt, who lives in Montreal, was able to help Lena Dubray from Beauval, Sask., discover more of her father's military history.
LaPratt realized Alex Malbeuf, Dubray's father, was in "C" Force of the Regina Rifles with LaPratt's grandfather.
"They were actually on the same ship that carried them over there," said LaPratt.
"They landed on Juno Beach, during D-Day. They both survived."
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed in Nazi-occupied France, on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats.
Dubray didn't know much about her father's military service as he died in 1953, when she was five. While working with the Department of Natural Resources, on Dec. 1 of that year, the vehicle he was in went through the ice on Lac Île-à-la-Crosse.
She hadn't known her father had landed at Juno Beach.
"My mom told me, my dad described, that apparently it was supposed to be a secret mission . . . the soldiers going to land on this beach," she said.
"And he told my mother that there were so many soldiers killed, because the Germans knew they were coming apparently . . . that the water turned red, the colour of the blood from the dead soldiers."
Her father's military record says he was an infantry sniper, which Dubray said had an impact on him.
"There was no wording for PTSD, but I know that's what happened. When he drank, I mean, you know, it wasn't pleasant," she said.
Dubray said he came home with five medals, one depicting each country he served in. Dubray's cousin, whose father was also in the Second World War, recently gave her a stone from Juno Beach he received after a visit there.