Modern wars have BC veteran, 102, fearing world is repeating mistakes

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Percy Smith, now 102, was just 17 when he joined the British Merchant Navy.

What he witnessed during the Second World War and what the world endured were on his mind as he took his seat at the Vancouver Cenotaph in Victory Square, and prepared to lay a single white rose in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

“I’m not here for myself. I’m here for the ones that did not make it,” said Smith, who spoke clearly and with purpose as onlookers who came to pay their respects gathered at the fences and the sound of boots clopping on pavement from the approaching parade grew more distinct.

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He hopes that others will never forget the lessons he and his generation learned as young men and women.

“What we did, and what we fought for, was to liberate these countries that were under dictatorship. Today, when I see the conflicts that are taking place both at home, and in Europe, in the Middle East and the Far East, I begin to wonder whether my service was really worth it. It’s mind-boggling that we are back to square one.”

Showing up to mark the Armistice, the agreement that brought the First World War to an end on 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, is an important commitment for Smith — as important as the sense of duty he felt when the Second World War broke out.

“This is a special day. This is not about remembering me, this is about those that gave their lives for the sake of freedom and truth.”

Smith, who regularly speaks in schools, said “Our children are not being taught as to what happened in these wars. We have to put that into our school system so that they are taught that there were people at that time willing to give their lives.”

Like so many others, Smith didn’t hesitate to join up.

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“The one thing we thought about, hundreds of young fellows like me, was the existence of our country.”

He was afraid most of the time, he said, especially of the ocean.

“The ocean is very cruel. It has no mercy on anybody.”

Smith witnessed many tragedies: Ship torpedoed and blown up, young men, fellow sailors and friends, lost at sea and others they risked their own lives to rescue.

He came home at 22, a different person.

READ MORE: Photos from the 100th-anniversary Remembrance Day ceremony at Vancouver’s Victory Square

“The world was different when I came out. I couldn’t adjust. So much had changed in five years,” said Smith.

He was dismayed by the treatment he and fellow service personnel received from the British government when they returned, said Smith.

“I was left alone. I thought to myself, I have to do something to make a life.”

Finding meaning and purpose was, he said, “a state of mind.”

Coming to Canada in 1956 was the beginning of a new life. He became an accountant, had a family, moved to Vancouver in 1971 and prospered.

But he never forgot. A longtime Legion member, Smith has spent his life giving back and trying to make things better for others.

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At 102, Smith has hope that the world will never forget.

“The white rose is a symbol of peace. What we need to keep in mind is that this is not a one-day matter. We have to remember those who served and those who gave their lives all the time, not just one day.”

He believes that Canada can be a beacon in this time of global strife.

“Canada, to me, is the one country in the world that believes in peace. No matter what political party is in power, we are united by our commitment to peace, we are so gracious to immigrants, refugees and all those who seek safe refuge from tyranny, and there is a lot of it in the world today.”

dryan@postmedia.com

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