For a civilian, it was an extremely rare occurrence. Jay Hammond has never flown a plane, but on Friday he received a pair of pilot wings at a ceremony in North Saanich.
Lt. Col. Matt Dukowski of 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron described presenting the wings to Hammond as “an honour.”
The reason Dukowski was honoured to present a the military decoration – which is normally given to pilots when they become qualified to fly – has to do with Hammond’s uncle Wilbur Bentz, who was a pilot during the Second World War.
On May 13, 1944, Bentz’s Halifax Bomber was shot down over Belgium by the German Luftwaffe, killing all on board.
Hammond even knows the approximate time the plane went down.
“Three to four o’clock on May 13th 1944,” he said. “My mother used to keep a picture of Wilbur on her night stand.”
It was a loss the family never got over.
In 1984, Hammond’s mother died. …