Langley Member of Parliament Mark Warawa gave a special tribute to Langley D-Day veteran Muir Adair in recognition of his service to Canada at Canada Day celebrations held at the Langley Lodge, where 96-year-old Adair resides.
Adair was part of the Allied forces D-Day landing on Omaha beach on June 6, 1944. In recognition of his war efforts Muir has received the Croix de Guerre, Defense of Britain Star, Liberation of France, and other medals. Most recently, on May 10, 2015, Muir Adair received the Légion d’honneur, the highest decoration bestowed by France, in recognition of his contributions to the liberation of France.
“Congratulations, Muir Adair on receiving the Légion d’honneur,” said the Langley MP. “We are thrilled for you and very happy that you have been given this great honour. We know that you treasure this award in large part as a reflected tribute to the other men in your unit, many of whom did not make it back.”
“Canada Day is a fitting time to thank our veterans for the sacrifices,” said the Langley MP. “It is because of Canadian Veterans like Muir Adair that the very foundations of our great country were laid: freedom, democracy and justice. This Canada Day, I encourage all Canadians to take time to thank our Veterans.”
Adair joined the RCAF in 1941, and was assigned to the radar section. He was sent to the UK for further training, and in 1943, he joined the mobile 15082 Ground Control Interception Unit as Flight Sergeant.
On June 6, 1944, Adair landed on Omaha Beach as part of the D-Day invasion. His radar unit was one of two radar units sent to support the Normandy invasion. Sadly, 47 of the 64 in his unit were either killed or wounded upon arriving on the beach. Adair was one of the lucky ones. He swam to shore under fire, quickly scrambled his way off the beach, and dove into the trenches for cover. Lost, soaked, and exhausted, he eventually fell asleep. His luck continued into the next day when he managed to meet up with his radar unit. They quickly and efficiently got to work, repairing the remaining damaged radar equipment and vehicles, and set up a field base.
Adair’s unit pushed on to Paris. Adair was in charge of the major part of the men and equipment of his unit and was at all times in the front of the battle. His unit was responsible for the ultimate destruction of over 50 enemy aircraft. His skill and devotion to duty, his coolness and judgment in the face of many difficult situations, was a fine example to all those who worked with him.
On June 6, 1944, Allied troops stormed German defenses on the beaches of Normandy (France) to open the way to Germany from the West. That day, approximately 14,000 Canadians landed in Normandy. However, eventual success in the D-Day campaign came at great cost. The Canadians suffered the most casualties of any division in the British Army Group: 1,074 casualties, including 359 killed.