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8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, November il, 2003 * CbanqÀMt Visit us at www.kMUon.COM 487 Laurier Ave. 878-2881 ~Returnig from Second World War biggst moment in local veteran Kelman 's 82 years Served in several countries duringfive years of service By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion Huck Kelman doesn't much resemble the per- son in die photo - a fresh-faced young marn in uni- form, barely 19, ready to kiss his family goodbye and leave for war. The once smooth face is now lined from, a life of joys and hardsbip and the chestnut hair is now snowy white. But the eyes prove without a doubt the two are, indeed, the samne person. Tfhe shockingly light blue eyes dance with life and sparkie as they do in the photo, obvious even in black and white. And as Mr. Kelman, 82, remnembers the day he returned from war, it's easy to pic- ture him marcbing with pride through the streets of downtown Toronto, those samne eyes sbmring. "It was a lovely day," Mr. Kehnan said of the parade he participated in on the day he retwrned. 'We marcbed down Yonge Street. 1 think everybody in Toronto carne out. Al my famnily was there. 1 saw my mother for the first time in five years."1 Mr. Kelman - whose real fîrst namne is Duncan - has been looking forward to Remnembrance Day, as he does eacb and every year. Today, he'll take part in the Remembrance Day service at Evergreen Cemetery and tonight he'Il attend the Remnembrance Banquet St the Legion. On this parficular day, he's busy prepar- ing for Remembrance Day activities. Bis uniformn jacket hangs on a coat hanger, proudly bearing its medals. In front of him, the coffee table is scattered with old photos and clips of newspaper articles he's been featured in. Mr. Kelman fought in the Second World War fromn 1940 to 1945, serving in such countries as Italy, France, Germany, Belgiumn and Holland. He stayed briefly at a hospital in Malta for a minor injsry. Although Mr. Kelman doetn't speak much of the atrocities bie witnessed, he's more than happy to talk about what it was like returning to bis family and home in Milton, where he's lived since the day be was bomn. "It was the biggest moment of my life," he said, referring to the exact date he returned - October 1, 1945. "I kissed the ground." After getting off the train as Union Station, he and the other retumning men and women marched in a parade along Queen Street to University Avenue. Four other Milton "boys" were with bim. There were about seven with whom he lefI for war. "My fzamily came down to sec tie Milton boys. It was really something. l'Il neyer forges it.." He remnembers hugging bis mother, the two of themn crying. Mr. Kehman taid hie returned to the bouse on Main Street bie had left five years eaul- er, and tried so resume bis life. Tlhougb it sook a while to re-adjuas, he counts himself one of the lucky ones. He didn't tum o 5 alcohol 50 cope as it seemed so many retisrning servicemen did. After leaving the living room and retumn- ing witb an annload of more photos, Mr. Kelman talked about bis most traumnatic time during the war. He held out a photo of bimself, four years earlier, standing beside a gravessone. The young man who died, Wilbert Coxe, was 23 and from Milton. He was Mrn Kelman's bet friend. A moment later, Mr. Kelman found a photo taken in 1940 of thse swo of themn togesher. Mr. Kelman made the emotional visit to the graveside when hie travelled to Sicily for thse 55th AnniversaIry of the Italian Campaign Veterans' Plgrimage in 1999. He said he cried while standing beside the grave stone. "We grew up together, went to school sogether and joined the army together. We were always together." Though Mr. Kelman will neyer forget any of the pain from the war, he said he's had a good life. Two years after he retumned, he got mar- ried. He and his wife, Lilly, have now been married for 57 years. It's only been in the past few years that he bas talked to bis children about his experiences, Mr. Kelman said, explaining that he "wanted so forget about it for a whifle." Now, he often brings out his war memno- rabilia. "I look as it ail the time. My wife thinks inm crazy half the time," he said, blue eyes sparkling. Stephanie Thiessen can be reached at sthiessen@miltoncaladialchaion.com. /~~~~~~~ i NM. RAM Launer 500 Lurie WSlou, ON rdr-07g [(())U[1!i<KYiIP roÀamn Schedule - Tuesday, Nov llth - Monday, November l7th, 2M0 5, pm ApWO WAA. Ealy WsAs E<Us"o 5, & eff PAgsd MI Esty WÈEdA5, E9m. Os PIMggsd1,1 5 O & 7S5m Plgs lni La% Week 5, B71IN Pkbpd 5I L"SWIM 5m h A "Mfl. 53P WKw s»to 5tOz Bs rspsd StOp,, The Ws ,"ç pIssA 7',ps 9ssP Ta (L") 8.04s Th 15WVAM". ps555t. 1:OP. Odisse, C','tl5 7.-0Op, Be As om a,op, aemp@ss SuisOsss Pu"As 855p SssumSt C"5t 8:05pr SPAsZONE L"s ftrud sov omh .mumuts of Mltow maltou i f11 R8' W Koko lhueu16 5, ~ T 7 u'AS NU JI]sErWWb I tjs H 5 'C Pilaa r Avenue 19T 4R3 .O2ll vo te ra n H u c k Kolosan lwWd ai piotury of hifws.lf toeo Itn Jue m sh o rt 1y afler ho ense to eeve ln. t h e www.cogeoo.ca k Fmi,ýy 1u