Personal Narrative: The Canadian Armed Force

Growing up as the son of a career Naval Officer, I have experienced a background that varies greatly from that of an applicant who has grown up in a strictly civilian family. The constant relocation, the exciting places I have lived, and the countless great, unique people I have met, have all contributed that that he unique childhood I have enjoyed. While at times my identity as a military child has made life challenging and difficult, I strongly believe that it has made me a stronger, more adaptable person because I have been molded by past experiences and I don't think that my application would be complete without this information.

Twenty-six years ago I a 17-year-old boy joined the United States Army. I served my country faithfully for 22 years, two months and four days; I served in the Transportation Corps. My time in the army was a special period in my life. I gain a lot of life experiences as well as professional ones; the military shaped and molded me into the husband, father son, and brother that I am today. During my service, I grew up and learned several life lessons that would serve me well in and out of the army. To get a real understand on how the military shaped me into the person, I am today; I must first give you some insight into the person I was before I left for basic training. I graduated high school in 1991 just four months’ shy of my 18th birthday;

Millions of men and women have served in the armed forces before me and millions more will serve after. Some have paid the ultimate sacrifice; some lost and captured, others received wounds, physically and or emotionally, and that time

I am proud to say that both my grandma and grandpa served in the military. The experiences that they have had are invaluable to learn about. Their stories keep the service they have done alive and helps to enrich others about what serving the country is like. They do not glout about their service, but are humbled to have been able to make a contribution to the nation’s security. If not for my grandpa’s service, I would not be here today as he met my grandma through it. I respect his service and sacrifice for the country of today.

These men, who had fought so valiantly, were among the brightest and the toughest are land had to offer. No one soldier was spot lighted as an overall hero in the Canadian Corps, they instead worked as a strong unit; this was orchestrated by the Officer Corps to make sure that the fighting force was strong from the bottom up and not from the top down. This was a new concept and made the bonding between Officers and Men stronger than any other Army. Yes, we were a country, but what is a country? This was the first opportunity to rally together from all provinces in such great numbers since 1867, yes there was the Boer War but the numbers were small in comparison to WWI and Vimy and for the first time we were under command of a Canadian Brigadier General and not a British Field Marshall. For once united, from one end of the land to the other, brothers in arms we could nail down our Nationalism. Vimy was fought with Canadians, plans were devised by Canadians, and for once we took center stage in the world. To quote from Brigadier General A.E. Ross, “In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a

In April, Canadians will commemorate the uncommon service and sacrifice of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who left their families and occupations to serve in WWI generally and at Vimy in particular. For the first time, in recognition of the remarkable service and leadership of Canada’s legal professionals, the Chief Justice of Canada and the Judge Advocate General of Canada are invited to participate formally in the Vimy commemoration at the national cenotaph in Ottawa. This recognition has been well earned.

The battle of Vimy Ridge is so important to developing Canada’s identity because majority of the men who fought at Vimy were citizens of Canada, the battle was commanded by a Canadian, and Canadian soldiers were known as shock troops. The Battle of Vimy Ridge would be the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps worked together as one formation. The task fell to the Canadian army to take the ridge. Canadian troops were Fishermen from British Columbia, prairie farmers, workers from Ontario and Quebec, and miners from Nova Scotia prepared for battle. These men were regular people who proved that under extreme hardship, Canadians could get the job done. For Canada it was one of the defining events in our history where Canadian troops

To be a Refuge for thousands of struggling people worldwide, some of whom are from Canada but are fight battles for other people, is of the greatest honour. WE sit in our desks and learn about how great of a country we are how we are such a blessing to the world, how we are perfect. When in reality we are from it, but we still keep fighting back and protecting those who need it. Helping them get to a safe place. WE might have our own wars inside our country (cultural differences that don’t sit right with everyone and never will) but do not let those get in the way of helping those who need help. This is what it means to be

In 2008, I joined the world’s finest Navy to support my country. Throughout my naval journey onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, I met and worked with many different people from

Not all elements and symbols of patriotism should come in the form of flowers, anthems, or flags. In fact, some are just living human, human beings. Those people have done tremendous jobs which cannot be expressed in mere words. From a tender age, Canadians are trained to appreciate that some of the country’s honored symbols are their fellow compatriots who have achieved great fame or success for their positive contributions as well as various good deeds to their country.

With the coming centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, it is perhaps appropriate to revisit battle’s significance in Canadian military history. While renowned within Canada, Vimy Ridge is obscure internationally and simply known as a component of the Battle of Arras. The ridge was a prominent geographical feature that dominated the surrounding area, and securing it was the Canadian Corps’ objective for the Arras campaign. The battle for Vimy took place from 9-12 April 1917, and resulted in an allied victory. As of 2015, eight in ten Canadians feel that the commemoration of this victory at Vimy Ridge should be the key celebration for Canada’s sesquicentennial anniversary. Unequivocally, this highlights the salience of the event in the nation’s

Almost half a year ago, the great war was won by Canada and her allies overseas; Germany surrender -ed, and our men and women came home victorious. Since then, we have embraced our returning soldiers with tears and great pride, while also acknowledging the sacrifices made to gain the peace we have now.

Through over 1,150 hours spent searching through archives, military, governmental and community, a sergeant in the Canadian military with the name George Ralph McKenzie has not been found. The evidence regarding McKenzie’s personal involvement in the Canadian military has solely been gleaned from 7 photographs. The rest of the information is possible or probable. From what I could visually identify from the photos was that McKenzie was a sergeant in the military, due to the stripes on his arm badge in photographs 5 and 7, during World War II. He was stationed in the Cultus Lake area of B.C., with his family, in 1941. One of the badges on his arm in photograph 7 seems to resemble the Royal Canadian Engineer’s bomb badge, though, his specific

Granatstein, Richard. Conscription The Canadian Encyclopedia. Canadian ed. 2008Newman, Garfield. Canada: A Nation Unfolding, Ontario: Patty Pappas

My military service reshaped who I am. My training stripped away any sense of entitlement and I learned more about myself in four months than I’d ever known before. It not only gave me discipline and taught me to perform under pressure, but everything I did wasn’t just for me anymore. I was working hard for the marines next to me in my platoon. The time came when each of us hit a breaking point physically or mentally.