A Montreal man is traveling to Italy to pay tribute to the Canadian contribution to Operation Husky during World War II.

The operation was an effort from the allies, including Canada, which eventually liberated Italy and helped topple Benito Mussolini.

Steve Gregory organized the mid-July trip, which will include a 320 km hike in honour of the 25,000 Canadian soldiers who landed on the shores of Sicily 75 years ago.

Part of Gregory’s inspiration came from his son, who was learning about the battle for a school project.

“The fact was he couldn't find anything and when I got engaged to help him,” he said. “I couldn't find anything.”

Canada’s contributions were barely mentioned in textbooks and historical texts.

“If you go to a library, any library, and read about the battle of Sicily, about the Canadians in Sicily, at best you'll find a footnote,” he said. “To me, this is a moral duty.”

It’s not the first time that Gregory has traveled to Italy to pay homage to the battle.

In 2013 to mark the 70th anniversary of the battle, he and 300 other Canadian and Italian civilians gathered on a beach near the town of Pachino, Siciliy.

For 20 days, they marched the same route that the soldiers took in 1943.

One of the participants was Bob Werbiski.

He has a personal connection to Operation Husky – his father was a pharmacist during the effort.

“I'd walked to the beach and put my hands in the water and said, ‘70 years ago somewhere along this beach my father got off a ship and started his experience of the war,’” he said.

Werbiski will be accompanying Gregory this month, along with Sicilians and members of the Canadian, American, and Italian armed forces.

He’ll be bringing markers to place in each town with the names of the Canadians who died.

“Three armies walking together in peace,” Gregory said.  “It's kind of a cool thing. We can't forget that we sent these men into that danger. And we owe them the dignity of remembrance.”

For Gregory, the trip represents another opportunity to pay tribute to the 500 Canadians who lost their lives in the battle, while proudly wearing his Canadian military colours.  

“It’s an honour to wear that in a foreign country,” Gregory said.