Meet the WWII veteran hoping to receive 100 birthday cards in time for his 100th

Rachel Watts · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 4:09 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Gaston Pettigrew says helium can't wrapper his caput astir celebrating his 100th day adjacent month. If it wasn't for his legs, the Quebec City nonmigratory says helium would inactive beryllium "jumping fences."

"To me, I'm not getting older," helium said. 

Donning his Royal Canadian Navy uniform, Pettigrew proudly held up a fewer aboriginal day cards which made their mode to his residence up of his triple-digit day connected April 11.

But the seasoned of WWII's Battle of the Atlantic is hoping to get adjacent much good wishes — 100 to beryllium exact.

Just this month, a assemblage radical dedicated to subject past posted a photograph of Pettigrew outlining a peculiar request: 100 cards for his 100th birthday.

The Facebook station connected Passionmilitaria garnered hundreds of likes and reactions from astir the world, says Jordan Proust, a prof and subject writer down the campaign.

"People from France, Africa, Canada," said Proust. "Given the fig of messages and responses I've received, we're going to beryllium good implicit 100 cards … I ideate astatine slightest 500."

Proust says helium adjacent received a telephone from an simple schoolhouse people successful France who program connected sending cards retired to Pettigrew.

The thought for the campaign started 2 years prior, erstwhile Proust archetypal organized a run for Albert Morin — a chap seasoned and nonmigratory of the Maison Paul-Triquet location — who was turning 100. It was a large occurrence and the seasoned received a full of 800 cards.

"When I met Gaston … helium came up to maine and said, 'Jordan, I would similar the aforesaid thing,'" recalled Proust.

Originally from France, Proust says honouring the radical who served and helped liberate his state successful 1944 is an important cause. He says determination are 3 WWII veterans living successful the aforesaid residence, which helium often visits. 

"The veterans who gave perfectly everything for their army, for their country," said Proust.

"I effort to bash my champion to wage tribute to them."

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. 

"It was to transport food, airplane parts oregon immoderate was needed successful England," said Pettigrew.

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

He says the slightest sound connected committee could person alerted the German submarines.

"We were ne'er expected to marque immoderate noise. We got utilized to proceeding a pin driblet due to the fact that determination was truthful small noise," said Pettigrew.

"I retrieve my neighbour [on the boat], a Mr. O'Connell, and I could perceive him crying. Some of them didn't person it easy."

He says the full unit celebrated the announcement of Germany's surrender connected May 8, 1945.

In the years that followed, helium got joined to his woman who passed distant successful 2017 aft 68 years of marriage. 

His concealed to surviving agelong is fourfold: not smoking, not drinking, staying location and "staying acold distant from the ladies," helium said with a laugh.

He hopes to fulfil the prediction of a doc who erstwhile said helium would unrecorded to 104.