VANCOUVER – When Tony Romeyn looks at the above picture it reminds him of a very important time in history – the end of WWII.
Romeyn was only five years old when Canadian soldiers came driving through their street in Haarlem, Holland, signalling the end of years of fighting.
He was too young to remember many details of that day, but the now Prince George resident told Global News the best part was the chocolate candy the soldiers gave them. “Wow, I don’t think I ever had candy before this,” Romeyn in an email. “The weakness in my older siblings showed with nutritional scabs on their bodies.”
His sister said her biggest memory was trading her mouth harmonica to a Canadian soldier for five cigarettes for their dad.
Romeyn can be seen inside the second cart in the photo, with his brother and a neighbour pulling the cart. His three sisters are all wearing white dresses.
The family emigrated to Canada on July 1, 1952. Romeyn said he was seasick from the seven-day voyage on a ship called the ‘Groote Beer’ and the family was directed to live in Lillooet B.C. to work on a Hop Farm as his father was a gardener. However, no one in the family spoke English so they ended up in Vancouver by mistake. They were put up in an immigration home and back on a train the next day.
But this picture still has a lot of meaning for Romeyn. “Each time I look at it, it reminds me of the fact that our whole family survived the war and we were able to celebrate,” he said. “I give a heartfelt thank you to the Canadian soldiers who gave their lives to free us.”
“On Remembrance Day I remember the tremendously hard times my family went through and all those heroes who gave their lives for us. I thank you more than my heart can ever say. God bless each and every family whose hearts are touched by these memories on Remembrance Day.”
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