A World War II veteran finally met the family of one of his old war comrades on Monday, thanks in part to a photo featured on CTV Barrie last Remembrance Day.
Veteran Ken Reid, who now lives in Beaverton, parachuted out of his burning Halifax Bomber just before it crashed in Germany in 1945.
Two of his crew mates, including James Francis McCormick, went down with the plane and died.
He hadn’t spoken with McCormick’s family for 70 years.
But last Remembrance Day he saw a picture of McCormick in a photo gallery featured by CTV Barrie.
“When I saw his name on the news, I figured that’s got to be him,” said Reid. “He comes from a small town north of here. There can’t be two Jim McCormicks from there, although they called him Frank I believe. Then his picture came on and I knew for sure it was him.”
McCormick’s family, including his great niece Marilyn, were introduced to Reid on Monday in a surprise visit organized by CTV’s Roger Klein.
Marilyn was glad to make the connection.
“My grandmother, my dad's mother, kept all of the records and always kept his memory alive for us,” she said. “There wasn't a Remembrance Day that went by that we didn't sit together and talk about him. She made sure all of her grandchildren knew who he was.”
John Moriarty, McCormick’s nephew, got to hear what really happened to his uncle straight from someone who knew him.
“Before we were just guessing,” he said. “What was it like? Did this happen? Did that happen? Now to talk to somebody who was actually on the same plane. The odds of that are seven in a billion.”
Reid is also hoping to connect with another member of the Halifax Bomber who may still be alive: Reg Wilson, formerly of Stoney Creek.
