Lauren Pineda
This year marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day, celebrated every May 8th to commemorate Nazi Germany surrendering to Allied Forces, ending World War II. Many D-Day Veterans celebrate this holiday along with D-Day on June 6 to remember the Allied invasion of Normandy, France. Both of these holidays are momentous in taking a moment of silence to remember our war heroes.
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This particular D-Day veteran is showing how truly tough he is, even at his old age. Fred McQueen, a 98-year-old WWII veteran, is not only remembering World War II today, but also celebrating his health accomplishments. This British veteran was not only one of the first veterans to go ashore onto Juno Beach back in June 1944, but also has beaten cancer three times. And to add even more to what he has overcome, he has officially beat COVID-19.
So to sum it up, Fred McQueen has not only fought on the front lines of one of the biggest wars in history, but he has also overcome bladder, bowel, and kidney cancer, and now, he has beaten the coronavirus. He was admitted to the hospital in January for a chest infection and fever when he tested positive for COVID-19. For weeks, NHS nurses took care of him, and now the veteran is fully recovered and safely at home.
McQueen was part of the 615 Field Squadron of the Royal Engineers, later joining the Second Guards Armed Division. We already mentioned that he was one of the first soldiers to touch down on Juno Beach in Normandy, France, during the D-Day invasion, but in September 1944, he was also involved in Operation Market Garden, where Allied forces were to seize nine bridges located in the Netherlands, infiltrating German territory. What a tough dude. Seriously.
Fred met his wife Auriel during his army days and married her after the war. They had their daughter Joan, followed by three grandchildren, and now six great-grandchildren. This pandemic ain’t got nothing on this badass.
Thank you for your service Fred! We’re both glad to see you well and inspired by your life!
