Thursday marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day — the day when Allied soldiers invaded the beaches of Normandy in France during the Second World War.
A small group gathered at King’s Square in Saint John on Saturday to honour those who died during the Battle of Normandy.
Kenneth Briggs, a Second World War veteran, said he was pleased with the ceremony but not the turnout.
“I’m very disappointed in the Saint John people that didn’t turn out to pay respects to the people that gave their lives so they could live,” said Briggs.
The 95-year-old said he was fortunate to return home from the war — unlike so many others.
Several people are gathering at King’s Square in #SaintJohn this afternoon as the Royal Canadian Legion holds a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6. pic.twitter.com/U4QoxE4xDS
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) June 1, 2019
Briggs himself was not part of the Battle of Normandy, which involved 14,000 Canadian soldiers and 10,000 sailors.
More than 5,000 Canadian soldiers were killed during the 11-week battle, including 359 soldiers on D-Day.
