Windsor veterans gathered Sunday for a solemn VE Day service at the Royal Canadian Legion Metropolitan Branch 594.
Some say WWII was the greatest conflict in human history.
"It's the smell of the burning flesh that comes back to me," says Harry Delisle who served in the CAF from 1942 to 1946.
"I didn't have a lot of problems like the others had but I still had to wrestle with a lot of memories," he says.
One memory is more fond than others, the announcment that Nazi Germany had surrendered.
"The relief was I thought about my mother. She had four of us in the service. How she must have felt. I still have trouble talking about it," he says
"When the announcement came over, they said the war on Europe was over. It was a great sound! We were all rejoicing. What are you gonna do! What are you gonna do!" adds Delisle.
Seventeen veterans were in attendance.  All were recongized with a Russian Memorable Award recognizing their contribution in defeating Nazi Germany.