Quotation of the Week

Training for combat

Superman’ (Tony O’Keeffe) Completes Gruelling Bike Race

Recruits to Attend RMC.

http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=18039

Girls will be girls, but they're also cadets
 

SITTING DUCKS AT SANDHURST 

http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17289093&method=full&siteid=93463&headline=
sitting-ducks-at-sandhurst--name_page.html

RMC boss tried to fight order to deny honour for retired U.S. general 

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=3b1c5b60-f493-41ab-9c85-e5b481c81f67 

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=367aadb7-e3db-442e-b18b-7a51560cb4e4&k=64021

Fast-rising Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie takes command of army

http://www.canadaeast.com/cp/national/article2.php?articleID=9552

The plan to behead the prime minister . . . Christian Leuprecht, a security analyst at Canada's Royal Military College, suspects that American officials were tipped off in advance, . . .

http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7036979

RMC hockey coach off to greener pastures - WLU APPOINTS KELLY NOBES AS …

http://oua.ca/news/?id=5039

The Great Canadian Action Figure Convention that will be held in Kingston on August 19^th and 20^th.   

It is centered around action figures and will feature manufacturers, retailers, seminars, workshops, contests, door prizes, re-enactors and more. Special guest will be Dragon/Osprey "Men at Arms" illustrator, Ron Volstad. There are at least three direct links to RMC, a Convention Limited Edition RMC 1/6th action figure, two of the organizers:  12918 Claude Bellerose (RMC 82) and Scott Dummit;   8057 Ross McKenzie (RMC 70)  has agreed to be a judge for the displays.  

Clubs representing time periods from the War of 1812 up to and including WWII will be in attendance, giving demonstrations, posing for photos, and giving all collectors a chance to check out just how that particular piece of equipment should be worn or done up. There will even be a small bivouac site at the show.

http://www.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?action=showRelease&searchText=false&showText=all&actionFor=601675

Banquet of Peace
By: Mr. Chris Weeks

Romeo Dallaire

Ex Cadet 22652 Jae Hwang (RMC 03) sails with Korea

http://www.lookoutnewspaper.com/archive/20060717/4.shtml

18524 Chris Theal (RRMC 92) has been analysing energy markets

Pep Boys' CEO Quits . . . 11721 Larry Stevenson (RMC 77)

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/15069131.htm

15185 Truelove joined the armed forces in 1981 before earning a bachelor’s degree in military and strategic studies from Royal Roads Military College in 1985. 

http://www.esquimaltnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=10&cat=23&id=697634&more=

9901 Don Brodeur (RMC 1974) and his father Philip Brodeur have been entering various Master's Track and Field meets over the last 4 months. They attended the Master's BC Championships in Langley, 17 and 18 June, 2006.

Phil got three first place medals in Discus, Javelin and Shot-put in
his age group, 85-90. Don, competing against the BC record holder in 2
of the 3 events, earned three seconds in the same events in the 55-60 age group.

Don Brodeur challenges all ex-cadets to get involved with Masters Track events. "This is what you do if you are an old Spitfire or Snowbird pilot!"

For more info and Canadian rankings... where Phil Brodeur sits 1st, 2nd
and 3rd in Canada, go to http://throwersclub.ca  see "Rankings"

"19976 Stephanie Low (Class of '95) and Lt(N) Brian McFarlane were
married on the 20th of May, 2006 in Victoria, B.C.  Stephanie is
enjoying her second year as a Constable in the Saanich Police
Department and Brian is an instructor at the Naval Officer Training
Centre in CFB Esquimalt.   

The McFarlanes welcome friends to their home
in beautiful Victoria!"

Down Memory Lane 

The great stories and reminiscences in the last few issues have started me thinking about other perhaps less well known College personalities who impacted on our lives whilst cadets. One that comes to mind from our recruit year is LCdr Hicks or as he was affectionately / subversively known “Captain Crunch”  (of breakfast cereal fame). 

Calculus 101 was a class, where as recruits, the lessons of punctuality and alertness were constantly reinforced. To be late or to doze off would be instantly rewarded with the maximum number of “circles” or “drill squads”. LCdr Hicks always seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to catching someone whose attention was wandering.  His enforcement of our attention must have paid off as I think everyone from our rather small entry group (72 as I recall) managed to pass. 

Very early on in our recruit year, around November 65, Tom Epp and I were invited to afternoon tea at the Hicks’ residence which was the No 1 Gatehouse by the Memorial Arch. Tom was from Saskatchewan like LCdr Hicks, which was one reason for the invitation. It was an appointment which we approached with some trepidation given the Lieutenant Commander’s classroom reputation. As it turned out, it was a very pleasant and relaxing afternoon and as an Ontario boy who had never been west of Sarnia, I was introduced to Saskatoon berry muffins. Today I suppose that today these invitations from staff would be called “cadet socialization”. 

My other memory of LCdr Hicks, was the conscientious manner in which he undertook his responsibilities as Duty Staff Officer. He had served on cruisers (HMCS Ontario as I recall) and enlightened us regarding the use of bugles rather than the bosun’s call which we recruits used to abuse as “Flight Runners”. But I digress. He was one of the few Duty Staff Officers who really seemed to enjoy “Tattoo Roll Call”, again with an insistence on timely and correct turn out for same. As Duty Staff Officer he correctly (as naval colleagues informed me latter in my career) appeared with telescope under his arm and if memory serves me, naval sword at his side. Even after 40 years, the image of LCdr Hicks proceeding in a dignified Nelsonian manner down the hallways of Fort Champlain during Tattoo Roll Call at 10 pm clearly comes to mind. 

Robert Mitchell 8059
Class of 69 (+1)

Readers of e-Veritas, 

I take the liberty of sending you the following information for two reasons: 

1.   To ensure that RMC colleagues are aware of this unusual and salutary project, and 

2.   To encourage your general support for it by making the opportunity for participation known within the spheres of your own RMC family communication.

Thank you.

5675 Dennis Apedaile

As you may know, there has been a major fundraising effort over the past five years to raise private funds to support the significant public funds (a large majority) allocated to the construction and exhibitions for the new Canadian War Museum (CWM) in Ottawa which opened late last year to very strong reviews.  

A partnership fundraising effort was also undertaken to support a substantial expansion of both the mandate and the premises of the Museum of the Regiments in Calgary. The museum will soon be renamed and welcome into its premises both the existing Naval Museum of Alberta and a new Air Force gallery. This museum will become the second largest tri-service military museum in Canada after the CWM. 

Today, the Calgary museum is engaged in preparing a wall mural mosaic portraying the faces of a Navy, Army and Air force figure.

The 12 foot by 20 foot mural will contain 240 different 12-inch-square paintings. The 240 paintings will depict primarily scenes, actions or figures of events, places and people in Canada's military family and its activities since 1812. There will naturally be a strong focus on WW I and WWII, but all significant activity before and after those wars will be represented. 

In addition to the visual representation, there will also be an interactive electronic registry beside the mural, allowing viewers to look up the story behind each painted square. 

A few paintings are being done by Canada's surviving war artists. The majority are under way by Lewis Lavoie, a well-known Edmonton artist. 

This is perhaps the only opportunity for individuals and groups to step forward and have the memory of something important to them and identified by them, within the context of the mural's theme, represented within one of Canada's military museums.  

How?  Well, the mural is also part of the fundraising, and sponsorship of the 240 squares is being offered as follows: 

*  A picture of historical relevance,normally chosen by the mural committee and the artist on a square with interfering background lines, shapes and pre-determined basic colour hue because of its position within the mural (eg: the end of a nose, or an eye), together with general historical notes.          $1,000. 

*   A picture representing a scene of the donor's choosing, with some interfering lines and shapes, together with a personal story or biography in the registry.         $2,500. 

*  A picture representing a scene or portrait of the donor's choosing on a clear square, without interfering lines, etc. together with personal biographical or story material in the registry.         $,4000. 

To date, over 70 squares have been sponsored, divided quite evenly among the three categories. 

This information is being distributed widely within the military community to help ensure that there is strong national and tri-service representation in the stories and images that are collected and represented together to make up the whole. 

It is hoped that the nearly finished mural, like a slightly incomplete jigsaw puzzle, can be mounted in the museum by the 11th of November this year. The mural is designed to be transportable and will travel from time to time for special exhibits elsewhere. 

For further information, please contact 5675 Dennis Apedaile at mdapedaile@shaw.ca  or 403  220-0144, or contact Ms Karen Storwick Koonar, Director, Art Gallery Fundraising Committee, Saving Our Military Heritage,at karenandharry@shaw.ca  or somhcamp@telusplanet.net  or 403 541-0889. 

Could I ask you to include my name in the next edition as one of the “missing” from the recent convocation: 

19479 (RRMC 94) Lt(N) Darren Hill, Masters of Arts in War Studies. 

Thanks very much. 

Cheers

Darren Hill

Thank you for publishing the tributes to Capt. Nichola Goddard.  

eVeritas 17/2006 has gone straight to my son and four daughters as a testimony to this wonderful woman, the lives she touched and her achievements during a short 26 years of life. 

May she become an inspiration to her generation. 

3214 Phil Gunyon (RMC '55)

Bill, I want to thank you and Rolande for that excellent tribute to Nichola Goddard.  An excellent piece of work and the highlighting of Nichola's time at the College continues to illustrate the fine young men and women that our College produces. 

TDV 

Col (ret'd) Don W McLeod
Liaison Officer (Atlantic)
RMC Class of 79

Thank you for another great issue of e-Veritas. 

I'd like to add my voice to those taking difference with Gen. Lacroix's Cadet Socialization Project.   

I believe that the loss of the #5 order of dress is an unnecessary break with tradition and offers no real benefits in return.  Nor do I think that living in off-campus in the Senior year is of significant value in terms of teaching cadets real-world skills.  I do not recall feeling shocked by the perils of the "outside world" after graduation.   

However the down-side is very obvious.  The absence of Senior cadets from much of campus life will remove a vital component of leadership, in terms both of the experience gained by the Seniors themselves and from the viewpoint of their juniors.  Leadership cannot be acquired simply from the classroom - it is learned largely by doing and by observing. 

In my mind it is disgraceful that these changes appear to have been presented as a fait-accompli.  They affect the very heart of what defines RMC and should have been subject to extensive debate. 

Thank you,

6938 GAJ Smith (RMC '66)

Thanks for publishing my piece about CISM Fencing - looks good. Et un grand merci à Rolande pour le texte français.

I was really touched to see all the tributes to young Capt Goddard. You did a great job presenting them. I really enjoy e-Veritas and am grateful for all the work you and Rolande do to make it so good. As for #5 order of dress going the way of the dodo, it's just clothing- anyone with more than ten years in the CF knows that these things are always changing. To tell you the truth, it's the sixes I really miss. They were sharp.

Cheers

Helga 

15566 Helga Grodzinski (RMC 86)

Thanks for the e-Veritas.  A pleasure to read, as ever. 

A bit about your Churchill quote: it is apparently false, according to a Churchill biographer.  Here is the reference: http://www.bartleby.com/73/2004.html 

While looking for the above, I found one best suited to the Cadets.   

TDV. 

8237 P C Pierre Brassard, (RMC ’71) 

Ed note:  We read the quote  referred to by Pierre and agree.  It is a good one for Cadets.  We will use it after they return in September.  

Thanks for including the piece on Derek Hines. It was kind of strange to read about Nichola Goddard and not think how similar both she and Derek were. It was quite obvious that both were great leaders and
they both made a lasting impression on everybody they met. All of us down here are better people because of the fact that we knew Derek and I am sure the same can be said about all of the people up at RMC being
better people because they knew Nichola. Having the opportunity to be around young people like Derek and Nichola everyday makes this job the best in all of college hockey. I can only hope that both Derek and
Nichola are in a better place talking about the Army RMC hockey games that Derek played in and the ones that Nichola watched. I would give anything to hear that conversation! I hope our paths cross soon. 

Brian Riley - West Point Hockey Coach

Really appreciate the RMC news. Thanks, very much. Leave tomorrow for three months at our summer home in Eckville, Alberta. Got to get closer to kids and grandkids (5). I'll be computer less 'til Sept. If you should wish to drop me off the "send" list 'til Sept, I'll understand. Please, keep up the excellent news work.  

Thank and God Bless 

8878 George Wissler (RMC 71)

The Goddard testimonials are uplifting and emotionally beautiful. It is sad that a life was so short, but many of us would be so lucky if we could live such a meaningful one. She represents, in my mind, what the College strives for, in terms of their graduates. I, personally, am proud that she is one of us, and, in our hearts and memories, will always be.

3938  Peter Kirkham (RMC 57)

EVERITAS just gets better and better.  

The attached reminiscence (staff story) is submitted for your consideration if space and themes permit. 

Regards 

Robert Mitchell
8059 

Ed Note: See Down Memory Lane article elsewhere in this edition.

I wonder how many ex-cadets remember or were aware that the swagger stick was briefly re-introduced at RMC by one of the past commandants?  When we went on leave in Kingston, we had to wear our No.4s, carry a cape on our left arm, leather gloves in our left hand and a swagger stick in our right hand.  If we wanted to buy something while in Kingston, we had to take a civilian with us to carry it because our hands were full and we weren't allowed to carry large parcels.  When we went to a football dance or whatever at Queens, someone was always trying to steal our pill box hat or our swagger stick and many were successful.  I didn't notice an RMC swagger stick in the museum at Royal Roads but I hope there is one in the RMC museum.

5256 Gwyn Griffith (RMC 61)

As a former RCAF pilot I like looking through airplane magazines. A couple of weeks ago I picked up one called "Warbird Digest", this year's May-June issue. In it I found a six page article entitled "Vintage Wings of Canada". I bought the magazine, and found it was about a man who is buying World War 2 airplanes, and flying them at air shows. He keeps them in a large hangar in Gatineau.
The man's name is Mike Potter, and in the article he mentions he attended the Royal Military College, and then went into the Navy. His interest in airplanes did not come along until later, and obviously after he made a lot of money --  examples of airworthy Spitfires or Mustangs do not come cheap. It appears that he is now working in the computer field in Ottawa.
He did not mention his college number, or even when he attended RMC, but if he could be tracked down it would be an interesting article for "Where are They Now", as he certainly seems to be very successful, and has a very interesting hobby.
The magazine's web site is www.warbirddigest.com, but I didn't check to see if the article is reproduced there.
I enjoy e-Veritas. Keep up the great work.

4110 Tom Morton (RMC 58)  

Ed Note: 6757 Mike Potter (RMC 66) is the same pilot who did the fly-past with his vintage Spitfire at the unveiling of the memorial cairn for 2364 Len Birchall in Trenton this past May. 

It was interesting reading the various points of view regarding the "retirement " of the cadet blue battledress in favour of environmental uniforms. In many ways I regret its passing, for the commonality of #5 dress assisted every cadet to concentrate on the personality rather than "the environment" of his classmates, and simultaneously reflected our unity of dedication and purpose. 

In the article   there were a couple of abbreviations that are new to me and probably to others as well. They were "DEU"- (Daily Environmental Uniform???), and "CADPAT" (haven't a clue!!).Would it be possible in future articles to initially use the complete wording before using its current abbreviation? 

Regards, 

3387 Jeff Upton (RMC '55)  

Ed note:  We have received the abbreviations from a good source.  DEU:  Distinct Environmental Uniform; CADPAT:  Canadian Pattern.  We keep trying harder on most of the abbreviations.

The government has quietly passed a law removing the benefits that kept our family going after WW11. 

Without the 100 percent disability pension that my father, Sergeant Arthur Fountain, received our family would not have survived. I expect I and my siblings would have been in an orphanage or separated and living with relatives. 

After Arthur died, mother was able to live on the widows portion of that pension and it was NOT clawed back in taxes as the Tories bill does - in fact it was totally tax exempt which meant that mother could afford to go to The Pines Home for the Elderly for the last days of her life instead of having to live with one of us. 

This is an extremely serious issue and not the Canadian way. 

I will pursue this on many fronts. 

7279 Laurie Fountain (RMC 67) 

Ed note: more at: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1150494609390&call_pageid=968256290204&col=
968350116795