On the eve of his centennial, Gaston Pettigrew was greeted with applause as he walked into the dining hall of the Maison Paul-Triquet home in Quebec City.
Wearing his Royal Canadian Navy uniform, he beamed as he sat among family, residents and staff, with a wooden box filled to the brim with birthday cards before him.
The well wishes came in from around the world after a community group dedicated to military history posted a special request for the WWII veteran.
Pettigrew wanted 100 cards in time for his 100th birthday on April 11. In just a matter of weeks, he received more than 1,700.
Pettigrew was just 18 years old when he enlisted in April 1943. He soon became a seaman on HMS Ettrick, a ship that served as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic.
He made 11 crossings between North America and Europe, Although his ship was never attacked during these missions, Pettigrew recalls tough conditions aboard the vessel, which carried around 100 sailors.
Jordan Proust originally posted Pettigrew’s story and birthday wish on his Passionmilitaria Facebook page — which garnered hundreds of likes and reactions from around the world.
On Thursday, the local health authority said Pettigrew’s residence expects to reach as many as 2,000 cards in the coming days.
‘Thanks to them, we’re French today’
Myriam Marty, who lives in Toulouse in southern France, sent a card to Pettigrew after seeing his request on her Facebook feed.
“We don’t really realize what they went through and I think it’s our duty today to say thank you,” said Marty.
“I’ve always had a very deep respect for these people,” she said, adding “thanks to them, we’re French today.”
She says the number of cards pouring in just proves that in a world often focused on individualism, people still enjoy coming together to honour those who have sacrificed.
Teachers Rendean Koudelka and Michel St. Louis at Hilltop High School in Whitecourt, Alta., had about 25 students help write birthday cards for Pettigrew.
St. Louis says they used this as a learning opportunity for their Grade 9 class in the town, located about 180 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
“I described what Mr. Pettigrew had to go through,” said St.Louis. “They knew about him, and what he did, and all the good things he did as a Canadian.”
Koudelka says the teens showed immense gratitude through their letters.
“It was very obvious they were thankful,” said Koudelka.
To mark his birthday on Friday, Pettigrew will take part in an activity with members of the Navy at the Quebec Garrison Club.
