Mr. Speaker, January 23, 1921, was the birthdate of Léo Major, a great man little known in Quebec but a hero in the Netherlands.
Léo Major was a courageous soldier in the Régiment de la Chaudière during the Second World War. He enlisted at 19, determined to help his country. He lost an eye in Normandy but still participated in the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944.
During the Rhineland Campaign, Corporal Major was again wounded when his vehicle hit a mine. He escaped from the hospital and stayed with a family in Nijmegen, Netherlands, while recovering from his wounds.
April 14, 1945, marked the beginning of the liberation of nearly 50,000 people in Zwolle, Netherlands. One night he attacked German patrols, fooling them into believing Canadian troops were invading, and he single-handedly freed the city. That same night, he lost his best friend, Wilfrid Arsenault.
On April 14, 2005, 60 years to the day after the liberation of Zwolle, he was made an honorary citizen of the city.
That is what I call a real hero. Let us remember Léo and all veterans on November 11.