WWII veteran and grandpa Ralph meets kids on Remembrance Day (Picture: Imgur)
Grab the tissues.
Canadian Ralph MacLean was stationed in Hong Kong during the Second World War. He was captured on Christmas Day 1941 by Japanese forces and was held as a prisoner of war until he was rescued by American soldiers at the end of the war.
Now a grandpa, every year, Ralph visits one or two elementary schools around Remembrance Day to answer questions from the pupils. This year, a little girl asked him whether he would do it all again.
He answered ‘Yes, for you’.
Ralph’s grandson wrote about the exchange on Reddit earlier today and it’s already inspired thousands of heartfelt comments.
The grandson, whose username is thenewguy89, goes on to explain that, while a POW, Ralph ‘witnessed several friends die, suffered physical illness, and almost died from being transported in a hell ship to a Japanese camp.’
He also linked to Ralph’s first-person account of his capture here. Ralph writes there of his fellow soldiers: ‘We must remember them as we contemplate the cost they paid for our freedom.’
Thousands of comments have been left thanking Ralph for his service. One writes: ‘As a kid from Hong Kong, we rarely ever hear about the men who fought in Hong Kong. It is commonly forgotten or people don’t care. What he did will forever be cherished by me.’
Another adds: ‘Your grandpa is a badass. That is all.’
We’re not crying, you are.
