100-year-old WWII veteran who hoped for 100 cards for his birthday receives over 1,700

Rachel Watts · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 11, 2025 1:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

On the eve of his centennial, Gaston Pettigrew was greeted with applause arsenic helium walked into the dining hallway of the Maison Paul-Triquet location successful Quebec City.

Wearing his Royal Canadian Navy uniform, helium beamed arsenic helium sat among family, residents and staff, with a woody box filled to the brim with day cards earlier him. 

The good wishes came successful from astir the satellite aft a assemblage radical dedicated to subject past posted a peculiar petition for the WWII veteran. 

Pettigrew wanted 100 cards successful clip for his 100th day connected April 11. In conscionable a substance of weeks, helium received much than 1,700.

Pettigrew was conscionable 18 years aged erstwhile helium enlisted successful April 1943. He soon became a seaman connected HMS Ettrick, a vessel that served arsenic a convoy escort successful the Battle of the Atlantic.

He made 11 crossings betwixt North America and Europe, Although his vessel was ne'er attacked during these missions, Pettigrew recalls tough conditions aboard the vessel, which carried astir 100 sailors.

Jordan Proust primitively posted Pettigrew's communicative and day privation connected his Passionmilitaria Facebook leafage — which garnered hundreds of likes and reactions from astir the world.

On Thursday, the section wellness authorization said Pettigrew's residence expects to scope arsenic galore arsenic 2,000 cards successful the coming days.

'Thanks to them, we're French today'

Myriam Marty, who lives successful Toulouse in confederate France, sent a paper to Pettigrew aft seeing his petition connected her Facebook feed.

"We don't truly realize what they went done and I deliberation it's our work contiguous to accidental convey you," said Marty.

"I've ever had a precise heavy respect for these people," she said, adding "thanks to them, we're French today."

She says the fig of cards pouring successful conscionable proves that successful a satellite often focused connected individualism, radical inactive bask coming unneurotic to honour those who person sacrificed.

To people his day connected Friday, Pettigrew volition instrumentality portion successful an enactment with members of the Navy astatine the Quebec Garrison Club.