November 2018 Cadets from Barrie’s Army, Navy and Air Cadet units stood vigil overnight at the cenotaph in downtown Barrie, leading up to Sunday’s Remembrance Day services. This duty has been performed by Barrie cadets for the past 8 years. The cadets rotate every 2 hours and are ferried back and forth from the Barrie …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/local-cadets-stand-vigil-overnight-at-barrie-cenotaph/
October 2018 This is my collection of concert photos that I’ve taken over the years, going to concerts in southern Ontario. Enjoy. **************************************************************************************************** 54.40 54-40 is an alternative rock band from Tsawwassen, British Columbia, formed in 1981 by Neil Osborne on lead vocals and guitar, Brad Merritt on bass guitar and Ian Franey on drums. They …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/so-you-wanna-be-a-rock-roll-star/
September 2018 In the history of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), many notable Canadians have worn the uniform but none more notable than Admiral Sir Charles Kingsmill, who along with Rear-Admiral Walter Hose, founder of the RCN Volunteer Reserve, is considered one of the founding fathers of the RCN and the first director of the …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/canadian-sailor-was-a-founding-father-of-the-royal-canadian-navy/
September 2018 On 7 April 1973, a helicopter carrying Captain Charles Laviolette and eight other international members of the International Commission for Control and Supervision in Vietnam (ICCS) was shot down after taking ground fire on a flight from Gio Linh to Lao Bao, killing all on board. The ICCS was established in 1973 to supervise …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-last-canadian-soldier-to-die-in-the-vietnam-war/
August 2018 Lieutenant Austin Chisholm was just a young private when Boer General Piet Cronjé surrendered with 4, 000 of his soldiers to British and Canadian troops at Paardeberg on 27 February 1900. With Chisholm’s regiment, The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), facing down Cronjé’s troops from an elevated position a short 65 yards away, the …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-last-surviving-royal-canadian-regiment-veteran-of-the-battle-of-paardeberg-died-47-years-ago/
July 2018 General Sir Arthur Currie, GCMG, KCB, has the unique distinction of being the first Canadian soldier to command the Canadian Corps, a post he was elevated to in 1917. Making this accomplishment even more significant is the fact that he rose to this position after beginning his military career in the Canadian militia …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/maligned-hero-general-sir-arthur-currie-the-first-canadian-commander-of-the-canadian-corps/
July 2018 The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, is the national repository for artifacts, photos and artwork related to Canada’s military past and the wars Canada has fought in, from the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), up to modern conflicts like the Afghanistan War and Canada’s peacekeeping contributions. In a display case in the World …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/a-teddy-bear-goes-to-war/
June 2018 The George Cross is a bravery award in the British Honours System, second only to the Victoria Cross. It may be awarded to any person, military or civilian, regardless of military rank, for heroism not in the presence of an enemy. One such recipient is Leading Aircraftsman (LAC) Kenneth Spooner, a Royal Canadian …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/young-airman-awarded-george-cross-during-wwii/
June 2018 Like all men and women who join the military, Seaman 1st Class Edward Slapikas no doubt intended to return home to his family, either for visits or upon discharge. Slapikas joined the United States Navy just prior to America’s entry into World War II and was posted to the USS Oklahoma, a battleship then stationed …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/sailor-who-died-at-pear-harbour-returns-home-77-years-later/
May 2018 On 25 May 1918, Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Sharpe stood at the window of his second-floor hospital room at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and leapt to his death. Sharpe was a war hero, having won the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), and was a sitting Member of Parliament, having most recently won his seat in …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/a-forgotten-war-hero-receives-long-overdue-recognition/
