Government of Canada unveils 2020 Veterans' Week poster marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War

Poster honours the contributions of Canadians throughout the war.

HALIFAX, NS, Aug. 15, 2020 /CNW/ - During the Second World War, Canadians from across the country and all walks of life would enlist for our country. In all, more than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in uniform and countless others supported the war effort on the home front. By the end of the war, from Normandy to the North Atlantic to the Pacific, on land, at sea and in the sky, and on battlefields across the world, more than 45,000 had given their lives.

Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, unveiled this year's Veterans' Week poster. This edition commemorates the end of the Second World War and features Corporal (Ret'd) Anne McNamara, and her husband, Flying Officer (Ret'd) Howard McNamara. Anne served as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force's entertainment unit, which performed musicals to strengthen morale amongst soldiers, while Howard was a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, who served in North Africa, Britain and Italy.

The McNamaras are superimposed on a photo showing Canadian service members celebrating in Vancouver after hearing the news of Victory over Japan and the end of the Second World War. Vicky (Goodyear) Luscombe, who drives the jeep in the lower image, served in the Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC).

The unveiling took place at the Grand Parade Halifax, in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was attended by members of the Luscombe family.

Quotes

"From the declaration of war in September 1939 until the surrender of Japan nearly six years later, more than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served across almost every theatre of the Second World War. The contributions they made helped to secure a return to peace for millions around the world, and are represented by Vicky Luscombe and Anne and Howard McNamara here today. I remain forever grateful for their service."

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Quick Facts

• We honour the more than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served in the Second World War, and the more than 45,000 who gave their lives.
• More than 10,000 Canadians served in Asia and the Pacific during the Second World War.
• On 15 August 1945, Japanese forces surrendered in Asia and the Pacific, and Victory over Japan (V-J) Day was declared. Large crowds gathered in Canada and the world to celebrate the coming of peace and remember the great sacrifices that had been made.

Associated Links

• The 75^th anniversary of V-J Day and the End of the Second World War
• Second World War
• 2020 Veterans' Week Poster

SOURCE Veterans Affairs Canada