Canadians encouraged to send World War II veteran cards for his 100th birthday

Feb 4 2020, 6:38 pm

What started with an image shared by a family member has become a national movement for a Second World War veteran’s birthday.

On February 2, Ron Arsenault shared a photo of Fred Arsenault, who is turning 100 on March 6.

“Hello. My name is Fred Arsenault,” reads a sign, held by the war veteran in the now-viral photo.

“I am a WW2 veteran about to turn 100 years old on March 6, 2020, and would like to receive 100 birthday cards. Please mail: 9 Kenmore Avenue, Toronto, ON, M1K 1B3, Canada. Thank you.”

Within a day of the photo being shared on Facebook, Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both tweeted the image, encouraging everyone to send Arsenault a birthday card.

Along with the politicians, the official account for the Canadian Forces in the US also shared Arsenault’s birthday request.

“Dear friends, Once, buried alive by an enemy shell. His brothers dug him out. Once, a man standing beside him was shot and killed by a Nazi sniper. Once, Ortona, Monte Cassino, north through Italy to France. Now, he’d like to hear from you. Please write,” they wrote.

The Canadian Forces also shared a black and white image of Private Fred Arsenault.

For those looking, again, here is how to send a card to Fred:

Fred Arsenault
9 Kenmore Avenue
Toronto, ON, M1K 1B3

Daily Hive StaffDaily Hive Staff

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