Honourable senators, what an honour to pay tribute to a remarkable Canadian and decorated war hero, the late George Chow, who passed away on November 6, 2020, one day after his ninety-ninth birthday.

George joined the Canadian Army on August 27, 1940, just shy of his nineteenth birthday, and enlisted to serve in World War II. He did all this without his parents’ knowledge. Even at a young age, he felt the call of duty and, without hesitation, was ready to serve his country. He later admitted that all he wanted was to escape following his father into the hard life of pig farming on Vancouver Island. During basic training at Seaforth Armoury in Vancouver, George exchanged his pitchfork for a broomstick. After his training, he boarded a ship in Halifax to England.

Once in England, he was assigned to a base in Colchester, where he became a member of the all-Canadian gun crew that shot down the first German plane on English soil. During World War II, George landed on Juno Beach following D-Day and saw action in France, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. In fact, he was involved in the liberation of The Netherlands on May 5, 1944. If the victory in Europe wasn’t enough, he volunteered to fight in one of the most dangerous parts of the war, in the Pacific. After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, George was honourably discharged on October 12, 1945, and returned to Vancouver, B.C.

For George and other Asians living in Canada, such as Frank Wong, Second World War service gave them their first taste of equality. Frank recounted being treated “like a second-class citizen in youth.” In the army “they treated me just like an equal. . . . You have your uniform, you’re in it together; you eat together and you sleep together.”

In 1950, he joined the 43rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery as a gunnery instructor, attaining the rank of Warrant Officer, 2nd Class, and was then appointed Battery Sergeant Major in 1959. He finished his military service in 1963 as Master Warrant Officer.

After retiring, George became a member of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. He was active in both and enjoyed participating in various ceremonies and events to honour his fallen comrades, and he visited many schools to speak directly to students.

George dedicated his life to serving his country and fighting for freedom and democracy. His courage and heroism earned him respect among his fellow comrades and community. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and, in 2014, the Légion d’honneur, the rank of Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour. He later received the highest distinction by the French government and was presented with the Medal of the Legion of Honour in April 2015.

George is a true Canadian hero but, above all, he was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, friend and respected leader. He was a kind-hearted and courageous man who will be greatly missed but never forgotten. His legacy lives on and will be remembered by those he touched during his lifetime. As perfectly expressed by Philippe Sutter, Consul General of France in Vancouver:

For everything he did for us, we say Merci. For everything we owe to him, we will never forget Mr. George Chow. Building on his legacy, we will continue to build a better world based on our common values, respect and multilateralism.