Remembrance Day: 97-year-old shares war photography
Saanich, B.C. –

In accordance to the concept embroidered on Bob Curtis’ ball cap, “It took (him) 97 yrs to appear this good.”

But this is a tale about how Bob feels so “great” at his age.

It bundled Bob driving himself in his purple pickup truck, at minimum 2 times a 7 days, to go enjoy horseshoes.

“Oh yeah!” Bob laughs. “I appreciate horseshoes!”

The 97-yr-old’s been explained to he’s the oldest aggressive horseshoe league participant in the region.

“Wherever there’s a event, I go in it,” Bob smiles.

“I can keep my possess,” he adds, however he’s much too humble to display all the components he usually takes house.

Perhaps which is the same assurance that inspired his teenage self to volunteer for the Air Force when Canada joined the Next World War.

He was not expecting to have to hold out so extensive when he got to the recruitment business.

“I waited, but then I told them, ‘You’ve experienced your possibility!’” Bob claims. “And I walked across the highway [to the naval recruitment office] and the Navy took me ideal away!”

Two days later on Bob was despatched to teaching, just before serving close to the Atlantic in the course of the Second Globe War.

“That’s the ship I was on,” Bob suggests, pointing to one particular of the many black and white images he took all through his provider.

Bob also reveals the distinctive licence he was issued to take photos on board, ahead of flipping by way of an album of images, ranging from depth-prices heading off at sea to enormous waves crashing in excess of the bow.

Bob also took pictures of the mates he produced, prior to capturing the burials at sea for the types he missing.

Immediately after 3 years around the Atlantic, Bob was established to sail across the Pacific to Japan, till the bomb in Hiroshima altered all the things, and the war ended shortly just after.

“I’m one particular of the blessed types,” Bob claims. “I obtained back residence.”

And every single day since, Bob’s felt grateful that he was blessed adequate to marry the enjoy of his lifestyle.

Following becoming married to Ellie for 67 a long time, elevating two small children, and relishing 4 grandchildren, Bob has no doubt what they spent the war combating for.

“It’s household,” Bob claims. “You’ve bought to search just after each individual other.”

Maybe which is one particular of the causes why Ellie gave Bob that baseball cap prior to she died. It at first reported: “It took me 90 decades to appear this superior.”

It is a reminder that — no make any difference what your age — you really feel so great when you encompass by yourself with adore.

Potentially which is why, for the previous seven many years, Bob’s been paying to update the embroidery on the cap each yr, to maintain the age present-day.

“The woman who does it says, ‘When you flip 100, you get it carried out for totally free!’”
