WAR HERO GEORGE BLACKBURN DEAD AT 90

Just wanted to pass along condolences on the death of a Canadian war hero: George Blackburn, who fought in World War II and wrote eloquently about it in three books (The Guns of Normandy, The Guns of Victory and Where the Hell are the Guns?) died Wednesday at the age of 90.

I'm kicking myself. About a year and a half ago, I wrote a letter to a former high school teacher of mine, Peter Peart, who's a military history buff. When Peter wrote back, he advised me to read Blackburn — and casually dropped it in that he had lobbied and written letters toward getting him named to the Order of Canada in 2005.

This doesn't say much for me, but I still haven't read Blackburn's books yet. Soon, Mr. Peart, soon.