Eyes welled up as they laid a wreath for their dad and grandpa at the cenotaph in Memorial Peace Park on Remembrance Day. He was their hero. His name was L.W. (Bill) Soroke.

"He's was a veteran. We are all so very proud of him," said daughter-in-law Darlene Soroke.

"He was with the war on D-Day, as a tank driver, and ended up being a prisoner of war after it all. He was with a tank of five. They were captured or taken down and Pop was the only one who made it," she said.

Bill Soroke, who was part of the 1st Hussars lived another 60 years, and passed away seven years ago.

The 1st Hussars landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944, and fought in northwest Europe until the end of the war.

"We miss him so much. We miss his stories," Darlene said, dabbing the tears from her eyes.

"He didn't glorify it, but he shared a lot. We are just very proud of him. He did a lot for the cause," she added.

Grandson Joel Soroke said it's a family tradition to come to the Remembrance Day ceremony.

"We come to remember Grandpa," Joel said.

Cody Soroke, another grandson, said it means a lot to him to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies.

"It means a lot for me to come here every year and support Grandpa, my hero," said Cody, his voice cracking with emotion.

"We always come as a family and then gather after and talk about Pop and remember Pop.

His stories were just amazing. He was a survivor."

One story he recounted was about blowing up a group of Germans on D-Day who were stationed atop a wine cellar.

"They emptied all their gas tanks and filled them all up with French wine. That was just one of the many stories he told," Darlene said.

Jaromey Poole was wearing a sign on her back to recognize her grandfather, Robert William Poole, an officer of the Royal British Navy who served aboard the HMS Windsor in the Second World War.

Her grandpa died about 20 years ago, but Poole is still moved to tears when talking about him.

"I believe that he believed he was doing exactly what he needed to do to protect the people he loved," said Poole.

Also moved by the ceremony was Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin.

"It was awesome. The number of people who attend keeps growing every year. I remember 25 or 30 years ago, we'd bring the kids up here and there would be a few hundred people here... there seems to be a heightened awareness... you gotta come early to get a good spot," he said, estimating there was about 3,000 to 4,000 people in attendance.

Margaret Kury, the emcee for the Remembrance Day ceremony in Maple Ridge kept every thing running smoothly, from start to finish.

"I think it went very well. I think things went a lot more smoother, and I think the weather had a lot to do with it. It's just marvellous to see so many people out, it's heartwarming," she said.

smclaren@mrtimes.com