Kamloops D-Day veteran awarded with Legion of Honour from France

LLoyd was 23 years old on D-Day, serving in the Royal Canadian Artillery. Like many others, he says he signed up to serve his country in a post-Depression era with few jobs available.

“That’s almost like signing your life away,” Funnell reflects, “because you don’t have anything else to say about where you’re going, or where you’re not going, or anywhere else.”

After the war, Funnell returned to Canada, took on several millwright jobs, and married. He now has two children and two grandchildren, and son-in-law Joe Koziol says they will never forget what that war was fought for.

“What we experience today, and what we enjoy today, somebody paid for it. And so we can never take that for granted.”

Months ago, Funnell’s daughter Lynne Koziol inquired about the honour after seeing a notice in the local paper from Guy Black, who was searching for veterans qualifying for the National Order of the Legion of Honour. She got in touch with Black, who put the application through to France, and eventually the medal was mailed to the family.

“I came over, and presented it to Dad and read the letter, and yeah it was pretty special.” explains Lynne. “A medal like that — it speaks of lives lost, and it speaks of lives given to liberate other people.”

It’s not the first time the veteran has been honoured by other countries. In 2004, Funnell went back to France and Holland for the D-Day 60th anniversary ceremonies, accompanied by his son-in-law.

“When we were on the ferry going over, I asked him at certain points, ‘What do you feel?'” says Joe, “And he says, ‘Yeah this is the point where you realize that there’s no return. You’re going ahead — there’s one direction in this.'”

Koziol says returning to Juno Beach all those years later appeared to have brought some sobering thoughts to his father-in-law.

“When I joined him on the beach, I said, ‘What are you thinking?’ and he said, ‘I just don’t know how much blood I’m walking on.'”

Now that the commemorative letter and medal are with Lloyd in Kamloops, Joe and Lynne say they feel other veterans from that operation should be honoured for what they did.

“The majority of the men like my dad who were part of the liberation of France, a lot of them have passed away now,” says Lynne. “It just makes me so sad because they don’t get to experience the honour that comes with receiving a medal like that for what you gave your life for.”

To further acknowledge the sacrifices made by WWII veterans, later this summer a commemorative event will be held at the Kamloops Legion to recognize the honour given to Funnell by France.

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Kamloops D-Day veteran awarded with Legion of Honour from France

Our Community