A man, solider and Canadian hero is how an Essex veteran will be remembered.
Friends, family and comrades honoured Howard Large, Windsor’s second last Dieppe Raid survivor, at a funeral service on Wednesday morning in Essex.
“When a veteran passes that hits all of us at home,” says Essex Mayor Ron McDermott. "He was a great guy! A good storyteller! And like most veterans, hated to reflect on what happened back in the day."
The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment says the 96-year-old passed away on Thursday in a Windsor hospital.
It was on Aug. 19, 1942, Large took part in the French coast raid of German occupied Dieppe. The battle is considered to be one of the most unfortunate in Canadian war history. After the raid, Large was held as a prisoner of war for four years.
Later in life, Large would become national president of the POW Association and retired as the community friendly post master with Canada Post.
"(He) lived a full life with his family, but he kept close regimental ties with the regimental association," says Maj. Mark Douglas, commanding officer of the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment.
