For someone who has been through the horrors of war, a veteran just has one wish.
1944, the Allied Forces composed of the Americans, British, and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy.
The advance was not as quick as the Allies expected but it was enough to trap the German armor in the Falaise Gap.
Reg Pye from the 224 Company of the Royal Engineers landed at Sword Beach.
And as the army drove the Germans further inland, Pye took a break in an unknown village.
As they rested, a van pulled up in their area. The driver who introduced himself as Geordie, offered him a can of pilchards. Then, he took some slices of bread then spread some margarine on top of them using a paintbrush. He also put in a dollop of jam per slice to top it all off.
It wasn’t much but it was truly a treat for war-weary soldiers like Pye.
He shared the pilchards with his friend. Then, before he could start eating, a young girl stood in front of him.
He was 20 at that time and the girl was around 14. She had a “shabby white dress” on and was staring intently at what Pye was holding.
He offered her the pilchards but she refused. He thought she was much more interested in the bread and jam. Pye couldn’t recall if the girl took the bread but he remembered how she ran back into the church.
The morning after, he found a photograph of the girl in his truck.
On the back of the photo was her name, Huguette Geoffroy. It was a photo that Pye took with him throughout the war.
“In the bleakest of times this bit of human interaction made a huge mark on my life,” Pye said to the BBC.
Now, in his 90s, he’s set out to complete his quest to find her.
At first, they had no luck. He and his only son tried to track her down but the church where he met her said they don’t know the family.
They got their break, however, with the Taxi Charities, when he shared his story with the members. The organization then posted the photos in several French newspapers which led them to four people with the same name. Out of the four, only one had a matching picture.
The two finally met, with Pye offering Huguette a slice of bread with margarine and jam.
And just like before, she also refused the pilchards Pye brought with him. Surrounded by family and friends, they shared stories of what happened to them while enjoying flutes of champagne.
“She was very prim and proper. We had a good welcome, the best 45 hours of our lives.” He said, as quoted by the BBC.
Meanwhile, Geoffroy said that she was deeply touched by Pye’s efforts. And it only goes to show that even in our darkest days, humans are still bound by love, kindness, and connection.
Watch how a World War II veteran got reunited with a girl he met for a brief moment.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
