When I see all of the publicity these days concerning racial conflict in the USA, I am reminded of my only three experiences with “Blacks” when I was travelling in the USA.
In 1942 two High School chums and I decided to take the short jaunt from St. Thomas to Detroit to see the famous stripper, Sally Rand.
We were early for the afternoon show so we entered a cafeteria for lunch.
It was crowded to the ...
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When a Cadet at Royal Roads, the Naval College, a Classmate asked me to escort his date’s friend: she would not go without her friend accompanying them and with a date! It was his birthday and he wanted to throw a dance party.
I had never “blind-dated” and refused to then.
He continued to pester me until I finally gave in and agreed to the blind date – he gave me the girl’s ...
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When I was almost 6 months old I developed a cough that gradually became much worse and responded to no treatment.
My parents took me to doctors in Moose Jaw and Regina and the only recommendation was “steam” – a steaming kettle under a sheet over my head.
This accomplished nothing so I was taken to the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg – where the same advice was give!
The problem got worse!
Mother took me ...
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The second battle I had chosen as my special subject and studied for presentation at the Army Staff College in 1960, had been the Airborne Operation to seize the Arnhem and Nijmegen bridges in 1944.
Later, when posted to GSO3Ops1 at Northern Army Group HQ [NORTHAG], my working partner and soon very close friend was a Dutch Major, Vein van Oppen.
Years later – long after we had both retired, Daphne and I ...
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The battles for the Mountain on which sat the Benedictine Monastery of Monte Cassino were vital to the Allies progress up the boot of Italy – but apart from Ortona they were also the most difficult and costly battles in the entire Italian Campaign. British, Canadian, American and Polish forces all suffered.
I had studied the Battle for Monte Cassino while attending the two-year Army Staff College ...
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As a part of the British Empire we, like all others submitting to the Monarch, were referred to as “Colonials”. And so long as we were under the protection of Great Britain and bound to her both politically and economically, we held that subservient status.
Had it not been for the obstinacy of such as Sir Sam Hughes in 1914 and General AGL McNaughton in 1939, our forces would have been piecemeal absorbed ...
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Sheer circumstance [or, as I personally choose to believe, “The hand of God”] has led me to meet a very wide range of people who have – at one time or another – had an impact on some part of our World.
This is not an ego-trip, for I had nothing to do with initiating these meetings: nor have any of them benefitted me or my career, other than through the impact ...
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It is Veterans who made Canada and it is veterans who have given Canada international acceptance and recognition; and yet it is Veterans who are being ignored and all too often dishonoured by our government.
We are told that Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden’s 1914 Oath of Government support for Veterans now has no substance and imposes no obligation on subsequent Governments – that our Government no longer ...
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Janet Moffat
My paternal Grandmother, Janet Moffat, was a most remarkable lady! She came from a modest family of Scottish heritage who were farmers almost exclusively.
It was a large family, of which she was the second eldest. Her older brother had left for the West and served for a short while with the NWMP; after which he became a “roving preacher”. It was he who suggested the family move ...
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Today we remember the more than two million young Canadians who have donned uniforms to defend our Country: Ypres, Vimy Ridge, The Hochwald, Breskins, Ortona, Kap’Yong, Hill 355, the Medak Pocket, the White School House in Panjwai Afghanistan.
It has been their service that has created this Country of which we are so proud and which has become the greatest free democratic state in the world!
They ...
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