Sherry Atkinson was only 21 when the Second World War changed all of the next 70 years of his life.
The London native and veteran fought in the Battle of Sicily.
The anniversary of that battle is less than a week away on July 10, but it is one that is often overlooked.
People always ask Atkinson if he was involved in the D-Day invasion.
“That’s the only thing that stands out,” he says.
Atkinson’s contributions are not being forgotten by a non-profit group, which wants to ensure this piece of history is remembered.
The group is called Operation Husky 2013, which was the name of the first assault of the Italian campaign.
The group is taking Atkinson and another veteran to Sicily for the anniversary.
They will participate in a walk to honour the 569 soldiers who died for Canada there.
Atkinson may have survived, but he was wounded and knocked out of the war.
“I was in a half crouch and he dropped an 88 shell right where I was hiding. A piece of it went into my shoulder blade and now I don't have one. I can't even recall how many miles I travelled to get to a Canadian hospital.”
After months of recovery from complications, he returned to London and worked assisting war injured veterans.
The whole war experience was tough.
“I was 21 years old in this photo (which he showed a reporter) and I wrote on the back of it, ‘Today, I became a man.'”
