John & Lawrence Byer

John and Lawrence Byer

John and Lawrence Byer were both born and raised on a farm northwest of Edmonton, Alberta near the communities of Morinville and Mearns; Lawrence born on April 2nd, 1918 and Johnny on October 5, 1919.

Both enlisted and served in the armed forces in World War Two.  Lawrence was a sergeant with the Tank Corps, 3rd Division, landing with them on D-Day, and John was a corporal with the Supply Corps, 4th Division, involved in the liberation of Holland.  Both were quiet, soft-spoken veterans who rarely talked about the battles, but occasionally a few storied slipped out.  Part of the Byer family lore is that Lawrence’s feet are seen on some of the famous newsreel footage of the landing at Juno Beach, as he was working under a tank when the film crew passed.  A military service request will be submitted to get exact dates of enlistment and other details.

After the war, Lawrence and Johnny both settled down to farming near Busby, Alberta receiving a loan from the Veteran’s Land Act to each buy their first quarter.  They farmed cooperatively, sharing equipment and labour.  John, my father, was a bit of an innovator, being one of the first in the area to have grown Cascade oats, an amazing looking crop, and was a successful innovator with both red clover for forage and canola in its infancy.

Both Lawrence and John were involved in local legions, their community, their church and their families.  John was particularly proud when his next generation would participate in Remembrance Day services.  Sadly both Lawrence and John passed far to soon, Lawrence March 6, 2000 and John on Sept 6, 1994.