This ‘D-Day’, the Cheslatta Carrier Nation honours one of its own members who served with the Canadian troops during the invasion of Normandy that allowed Allies to push inland and led to the eventual end of WWII.
Private Abel Thomas Peters, Rifleman, was born on Sept. 16, 1922 at Cheslatta Lake.
He was one of 10 children born to Thomas Peter and Rose Louie (daughter of the legendary Chief Louie).
He attended LeJac residential school but ran away when he was 13. He enlisted in the army in 1943 in the 102nd Northern British Columbians and became part of the Winnipeg Rifles. After enlisting he trained in Alberta for two months and then travelled to Nova Scotia for final training. He went overseas in September 1943 and landed on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944.
On July 8, 1944, Private Peters was shot by a German sniper at the Cannes Airfield. He received extensive head and arm injuries. His left arm ended up being one inch shorter than his right arm because of his injuries and he survived a bullet wound to his head.
He was on the battlefield for only 28 days before returning to Canada.
Private Peters went in Vancouver and stayed at a hospital for soldiers to recover from his injuries. He ended up in Victoria at a convalescent facility and stayed for several months to regain use of his arm and strength in his legs.
Once he was discharged, he found his way to Quesnel to work in a sawmill, but a workplace injury to his hands forced him back to Vancouver for medical treatment.
When recovered he went back to Cheslatta Lake and bought a truck and started a sawmill. In April 1952, he was the translator for the Cheslatta Carrier Nation when Alcan and the Department of Indian Affairs forced people to surrender their land and villages.
He married May Jack and together they raised 12 children.
Peters then became Chief of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation between 1962-1964 and a Band councillor between 1966-1968 and again 1985-1990.
Abel Thomas Peters passed away peacefully on Aug. 15, 2012, just short of his 90th birthday.
