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40 FOCUS - NOVEMBER 2015 was the same. We also visited cemeteries. You saw the gratitude of the people there too in the meticulous tending of the grounds. Some sites were dedicated to Canadian flyers and servicemen. But we saw another where the mass graves of genocide victims were. Headstones wouldve been impos- sible 4x4s stuck out of the ground at different heights framing their rest- ing places. The higher the markers the greater the age of the people bur- ied there. There were acres of those. Larry recounted the same experi- ence from the point of view of a gen- eration removed. You learn the history in school he says. But actually being there and the place is so quiet and sombre it takes on a whole new meaning. Your imagination takes over. With the chance to mingle among the veterans away from the formal activities Larry says he gained new insights beyond what his father had related. It was fascinating to just listen to them chat at night. In public they talk only about the good experi- ences but in private you hear both good and bad. Its amazing theyre able to relate some of those stories and still be able to at times laugh as a group. George returned to Canada invig- orated by twelve days of travel emo- tion and memories. The travel the sights and the people he met along the way added generously to his can- on of war experiences and anecdotes. But the old and new memories were not solely the stories of places peo- ple and things. As much they rep- resented the way he felt in his heart as the result of having lived them and formed the background no doubt for any number of future speeches none of them requiring pages of notes. By Scott Mercer Focus on Scugog Rendezvous continued from page 39 George continued to regularly visit Henk Metselaar the Dutch national hed once saved with a gift of chocolate. With another planned George sadly related that hed learned that Henk had died August 15th. No one can know what goes on inside a mind so debilitated by disease but George speculates that on some level Henk knew he was there. I could see a sparkle in his eye when I spoke to him even if he couldnt answer back. His daughter told me he spoke the only words he had since Alzheimers got such a tight grip on him after one of my visits Where did that man go George Emmerson was Henks angel in 1945 and quite possibly offered a small measure of human comfort and distant but tender memories in Henks final months. EPILOGUE 216 Q ueen Street P ort P erry 9 05- 9 8 5- 217 1 Myles G. ORiordan F uneral D irector O wner www.waggfuneralhome.com 169 North Street Port Perry 905-985-8416 www.taylorforder.com Remembering Womens Military Roles WE THANK YOU Canadian Women s Army Corp s members disembark ing f rom a sh ip in Gourock Scotland on 3 1 March 1 9 4 3 . I N S U R A N C EYour protection is our policy