Joseph Vogelgesang

Joseph Vogelgesang (born 1924) is a Canadian veteran of World War II. He was part of the Calgary Highlanders infantry regiment that landed on Juno Beach during the Normandy landings on June 6, 1943. On the 80th anniversary of the landings, he was awarded the Legion of Honour, France's highest honour, by the French Consul General for his involvement in the liberation of France.

Early life and service Vogelgesang was born in 1924 and was the second of ten children. He worked on his family's farm in rural Saskatchewan. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Canadian Army where he subsequently trained in Regina, Saskatchewan and Brandon, Manitoba.

In 2024 he was awarded the Legion of Honour for his part in the landings and liberation of France by French Consul General Nicolas Baudouin. Reflecting on the anniversary of the landings, he told the Canadian Press of an interaction just prior to landing on Juno Beach,"My sergeant told me, if you live for the next 48 hours, you will live for a long time, and I learned a lot in 48 hours." He now lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia.