First I wanted to share a youtube video with you about this subject
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bXYSmgpErI&feature=related
My grandfather was an amazing pilot who flew a dakota in WW2. He and my grandmother were pure germans who came to canada to start a new life. My grandfather was 1 week away from being decommisioned to come home and build that new life.
He was approached by the red cross to fly one last mission for them. They would understand if he declined, but they needed good pilots to get red cross supplies out. He was flying a red cross plane that was downed by german anti aircraft fire.
an email my sister sent me about my grandpa I have carried this medal with me from the time my mother gave it to me to keep, it is called the widow's cross
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group09/mcgrvi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Cross_(Canada)
the web link should go to this but the above link is not right so here is the proper name for the medal
Memorial Cross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AN INTERESTING NOTE, IT IS SO FAR AS I KNOW THE ONLY MEDAL AWARDED THAT THE NEXT OF KIN CAN WEAR WITH HONOURS WITHOUT ANY SHAME THAT WOULD BE AFFORDED BY WEARING A SOLDIERS MEDALS.
From: candace wilkinson
Subject: dale i am herb cressmans granddaughter
To:
Date: Sunday, June 29, 2008, 8:17 PM
i have tried to find you since a friend of mine helped me find info on my bilogical grandfather herb cressman i just happend to locate your info when i did a google search and then i found your home number your uncles name was charles herbert cressman and he was married to barbara whos maiden name was kaip they had two children together whos names were herb and judith barb had lena and evelyn as sisters and mary kaip was her moms name if i dont get all theses names right i am sorry barbara also had a brother named mike
i never got to meet your dad bev but my mom judith had many great stories about him from when he was chief of police in saskatoon sasketchewan i would so love to meet you all and i am so happy i finally found you via the internet i have pictures of herb cressman with the two children he left behind when his plane was shot down in ww2 and if i am not mistaken my brother still has the medal that herb recieved from the queen of england
unfortuately we lost the letters that were sent from the queen of england in honor of herbs valour i so look forward to hearing from you i was shaking when i found your family today it is a relief please contact me as soon as possible
A response email from herb's brother's son
From: Dale Cressman
Subject: Re: dale i am herb cressmans granddaughter
To: djcouclagirl
Date: Monday, June 30, 2008, 8:59 AM
Candace, so wonderful to hear from famiily! I look forward to speaking with you on the phone. Where do you live? I am in Europe at the moment and will be returning on July 3rd. Perhaps we can arrange to talk sometime the following week.
Just last month my brothers and I were in the Peace Tower of the Parliament building in Ottawa and ordered the page that has your grandfather's name on it. I can share with you how to get a copy for yourself.
You may know that I travelled to Uden, Netherlands in 2005 with my father to visit Herb's grave. I would be happy to share those photos. My father lives in Saskatoon and is doing fairly well.
Please let me know how I can call you when I return home. I look forward to talking with you.
Dale
-----
Dale Cressman, PhD
Assistant Professor
Brigham Young University
and one last email from my sister about my extended family on my mothers side
"did you know that there were eight children in the cressman family most of them are still alive and a few of them live in saskatoon did you also know that our great uncle bev cressman tesitied in the milgaard case this is so cool and the one cousing dale got a copy of that letter that was sent from the queen also the one great uncle has a family tree book on the cressman family dated back to the i think he said 1600's
and i found them all by myself lol"
To put forth a quote I saw on the back of a van with veteran's plates-
"If you don't feel like standing behind our army, feel free to stand in front of them!!!!"
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all who fit the subject of this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bXYSmgpErI&feature=related
My grandfather was an amazing pilot who flew a dakota in WW2. He and my grandmother were pure germans who came to canada to start a new life. My grandfather was 1 week away from being decommisioned to come home and build that new life.
He was approached by the red cross to fly one last mission for them. They would understand if he declined, but they needed good pilots to get red cross supplies out. He was flying a red cross plane that was downed by german anti aircraft fire.
an email my sister sent me about my grandpa I have carried this medal with me from the time my mother gave it to me to keep, it is called the widow's cross
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group09/mcgrvi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Cross_(Canada)
the web link should go to this but the above link is not right so here is the proper name for the medal
Memorial Cross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AN INTERESTING NOTE, IT IS SO FAR AS I KNOW THE ONLY MEDAL AWARDED THAT THE NEXT OF KIN CAN WEAR WITH HONOURS WITHOUT ANY SHAME THAT WOULD BE AFFORDED BY WEARING A SOLDIERS MEDALS.
From: candace wilkinson
Subject: dale i am herb cressmans granddaughter
To:
Date: Sunday, June 29, 2008, 8:17 PM
i have tried to find you since a friend of mine helped me find info on my bilogical grandfather herb cressman i just happend to locate your info when i did a google search and then i found your home number your uncles name was charles herbert cressman and he was married to barbara whos maiden name was kaip they had two children together whos names were herb and judith barb had lena and evelyn as sisters and mary kaip was her moms name if i dont get all theses names right i am sorry barbara also had a brother named mike
i never got to meet your dad bev but my mom judith had many great stories about him from when he was chief of police in saskatoon sasketchewan i would so love to meet you all and i am so happy i finally found you via the internet i have pictures of herb cressman with the two children he left behind when his plane was shot down in ww2 and if i am not mistaken my brother still has the medal that herb recieved from the queen of england
unfortuately we lost the letters that were sent from the queen of england in honor of herbs valour i so look forward to hearing from you i was shaking when i found your family today it is a relief please contact me as soon as possible
A response email from herb's brother's son
From: Dale Cressman
Subject: Re: dale i am herb cressmans granddaughter
To: djcouclagirl
Date: Monday, June 30, 2008, 8:59 AM
Candace, so wonderful to hear from famiily! I look forward to speaking with you on the phone. Where do you live? I am in Europe at the moment and will be returning on July 3rd. Perhaps we can arrange to talk sometime the following week.
Just last month my brothers and I were in the Peace Tower of the Parliament building in Ottawa and ordered the page that has your grandfather's name on it. I can share with you how to get a copy for yourself.
You may know that I travelled to Uden, Netherlands in 2005 with my father to visit Herb's grave. I would be happy to share those photos. My father lives in Saskatoon and is doing fairly well.
Please let me know how I can call you when I return home. I look forward to talking with you.
Dale
-----
Dale Cressman, PhD
Assistant Professor
Brigham Young University
and one last email from my sister about my extended family on my mothers side
"did you know that there were eight children in the cressman family most of them are still alive and a few of them live in saskatoon did you also know that our great uncle bev cressman tesitied in the milgaard case this is so cool and the one cousing dale got a copy of that letter that was sent from the queen also the one great uncle has a family tree book on the cressman family dated back to the i think he said 1600's
and i found them all by myself lol"
To put forth a quote I saw on the back of a van with veteran's plates-
"If you don't feel like standing behind our army, feel free to stand in front of them!!!!"
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all who fit the subject of this post.
