The Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion was the recent site to celebrate the military service and special day for a reluctant war hero.
The family of Willard Kathan, an Innisfailian from 1988 to 2013, hosted a small private birthday party for the family patriarch. Kathan, a retired Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) flying officer who served gallantly during the Second World War, turned 100 years young on April 25.
“He is not really one for fussing,” said daughter Doreen Rich, adding her dad always lived a life of humility and modesty.
In fact, the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton also wanted to honour Kathan's heroism but family members politely declined it.
“My mom and uncle are hesitant to put too much emphasis on that aspect of things. Grandpa's wishes are for a small gathering of his immediate family to include his children, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” said Kathan's grandson Darren Rich, a commander in the Royal Canadian Navy. Rich and his grandfather are both members of Innisfail Branch #104 of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Kathan, who was born in Round Hill, Alta., joined the RCAF in 1941 as an aero engine mechanic. He ended up as a flight engineer on the famed Lancaster bombers. His job was to be the right-hand man to the plane's pilot; responsible for the control of engines and making sure they provided the optimum performance for each mission. He served with the legendary 428 Ghost Squadron and survived more than 20 missions into Germany.
“Mine was not an illustrious career. I did what I had to do and that was it,” said Kathan with his usual modestly during a 2007 video interview about his military role during the Second World War.
During the war, Kathan met his future wife Olive in Darlington, England. They returned to Canada in 1947 to live on the family farm in Ryley, Alta. Four years later the family moved to Deadwood to homestead. Kathan was then hired by the Canada West seed cleaning company in North Star. He went on to work for the company in Grimshaw, Edmonton, Wetaskiwin and Medicine Hat before retiring in the early 1980s when he decided to move to Innisfail. Olive passed away in 2003. Kathan now lives at Red Deer's CollegeSide Gardens, a seniors' assisted living residence.
The private celebration at the legion included the presentation of the Royal Canadian Air Force flag, that was given by 1 Canadian Air Division and flown on April 7 in Winnipeg to honour Kathan.
A birthday tribute was given by Queen Elizabeth II and from National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. The citation thanked Kathan for his past service and was given on behalf of all airmen and airwomen serving in today's RCAF.
“My attitude is that no individual has a right to claim anything special. If one guy gets it the bunch of us is entitled to it,” said Kathan in the 2007 interview. “I was never awarded great citations. I was never that type of guy. We had to do what we had to do.”
