Leo Major
Leo Major
Corporal
Le Régiment de la Chaudière
1921 - 2008
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The residents of Zwolle remember Leo Major for single-handedly liberating the city. In 1940, at the age of 19, the French-Canadian soldier from a tough Montreal neighborhood joined the army. After losing an eye on D-Day on the beaches of Normandy, he refused medical evacuation, claiming he could still aim a rifle with one eye.
Later, he and another soldier, Willie Arsenault, were sent to scout the German presence. Arsenault was killed, but Major managed to capture Zwolle by setting off enough grenades to create the impression that a large Canadian force had entered the city. By early morning, the Germans had fled.
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Montreal
