(Tiffany Goodwein/ CHAT NEWS)

By Tiffany Goodwein

‘A great role model’: Community comes out to surprise 95-year-old WWII Veteran on birthday

Jul 25, 2020 | 6:48 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- Honks, and cheers rang through a Riverside neighbourhood as family, friends, and members of the community came out to surprise World War II Veteran George Hope as he marked his 95th birthday.

“Well I’ll tell you it was very unexpected I knew my family was coming around and I always love to see my family. I have one of the greatest families there are. I don’t think there is a nicer family than what I have,” Hope said, his face beaming as he sat in a lawn chair outside alongside his wife.

Car after car, with balloons strung, drove by, as a salute to a man who has given so much throughout the years.

In June of 1943, George Hope enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces and served in World War II.

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“Seeing those people and the way they were treated by the Gestapo, it was hard to take, because they were hungry, and the little children, we had our rations with us so we would always give them out, and chocolate bars, we would give them to the little children you know and they didn’t even know what a chocolate bar was,” Hope recalled.

Like many veterans, his time at war was marked by trauma.

“It’s something that I looked forward to, was going in there. I — I was only in there a couple of days when I wished I was out. You know things I had seen. You see your friends get shot you see somebody blown up by a mine in just pieces, and it’s horrible. It’s hell,” he said.

After serving in World War II, George Hope joined the Royal Canadian Legion in Redcliff. His membership still stands, 75 years and counting.

“I actually hold a record at the Redcliff Legion. The youngest president, the oldest president and served the longest,” Hope said.

At 95-years-old, he is still as energetic and witty as ever, something he attributes to his family.
” You know when you’ve got a family like I have, you want to live, you want to live for them,” he said.

Family means everything to him. He even built his property right next door to be closer to the grandchildren.

“He’s always been a hero I guess in our family. He’s the leader of our family we’ve got a lot of cousins and he is just a great role model,” said granddaughter Shelby Hope.

In terms of longevity, his family speculates the secret could be George and his wife’s continued service to the community.

“They never stop being involved with things, they never stop volunteering. They are always out in their yard moving around. They don’t let their age be anything but a number,” granddaughter Hope Boychuk said.

His wit, sense of humour, and years of wisdom are also intact. For younger generations needing guidance, he offers up this piece of advice:

“Get into lots of trouble,” he laughed

” No I would say just live your life good, be good with people, you know don’t be a mean son of a buck.” he joked.