A Windsor woman now has a permanent memorial to a Canadian soldier who once lived in her house.
When Patricia Murphy received a package from St. Anne Catholic High School, informing her that she lived in a home that once belonged to a soldier who died in the Second World War, she knew she had to do something to preserve not only the soldier's legacy, but also provide a window to Windsor's wartime past.
Murphy had a plaque installed on her front porch commemorating Samuel Berger, the soldier who enlisted in the war and died at the Battle of Dieppe.
The plaque is the result of a history project from two Grade 11 students at St. Anne's, Brayden Tessier and Riley Carmichael. They were given an assignment by their teacher, Steve Byrne, to research a veteran with Windsor-Essex connections. Brayden and Riley studied Berger and were able to determine that Berger lived on Niagara Street near Louis Avenue.
Murphy, the homeowner, knew she had to take things a step further. There's also a deep emotional connection for Murphy considering Berger's sad fate in the war.
"It was so moving for me just to think that it's a part of history and it happened here," said Murphy. "He was only 21-years-old when he enlisted, and he was just shy of his 23rd birthday when he passed away in the raid of Dieppe."
The raid of Dieppe was one of Canada's most significant setbacks in the Second World War, and it has a deep connection with Windsor residents. Out of 6,000 Allied soldiers who stormed the beach of the German-occupied French town, 5,000 were Canadian. Those from the Windsor-based Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment numbered 533, and out of them, only 23 came home physically unharmed.
Riley said the project came easy to him since he loves history.
"Instead of just from point-A to point-B to do it for grades, it's actually to show different people the meaning of history," said Riley, 16. "There's a lot more involved, I would say, so it connects more to me and different people, and not to just sit down, write and get it done."
A local trophy company created the plaque, and now is displayed near the home's front door, complete with a red poppy and the words "Lest We Forget".
For Brayden, 17, the project revealed to him a deep appreciation for those who served and gave him an understanding of life in wartime Windsor.
"I sort of think of it as walking not in their shoes, but walking in the legacy they leave behind," said Brayden. "This area that they lived in, I'm here now, and it's like being in their time."
