Memory fast lane in military

It’s a slow day in CancerLand, so I thought of going to MemoryLane with this post…

I joined the Canadian Armed Forces in March 1977, I was 17 years old. It wasn’t for a noble reason like serving my country; it was to keep peace… inner peace that is! I was not going anywhere, I was a high school dropout and I was not happy in my family.  

My wife also joined in 1977, she was camouflaged so it took me all the way till 1978 to find her and parade her to church…

The army is a great place to learn a trade while earning a salary. I was making $500 a month, it sure was more money that I ever dreamed of (honestly) making!

Once we completed all the training, we were posted to Valcartier (Quebec). I went to an army unit and my wife to a Communication squadron.

Usually, in June, my unit would go on manoeuvre in Gagetown (New Brusnwick) –Julia you might know where that is ;)-. I heard it is a nice area however all I got to see were pine trees. I was living in a tent sleeping on a cot, I didn’t enjoy that kind of life much but what I enjoyed or not didn’t seem to be of concern for my superiors LOL.

My wife on the other hand was going on trips to do maintenance on equipments. She would write to me on hotel stationary… after a good meal in a nice restaurant… life can be sooooo unfair!  (Comment from Christiane: come on Richard it happened once!)

We left Valcartier in 1982 and were transfered to Ramstein (American Air force Base), Germany. We were working in a bunker in Kindsbach a small site a few miles away from the base.  The bunker was inside a mountain. It used to be an ammunition depot.  It was built during World War II for Hitler’s war machine.

Needless to say, we were having the time of our life… it ended in 1985 when we received our marching order to go to Carp (Ontario). My wife was stationed with the Communication Squadron, in another bunker; I was posted down the hill from her to something called NICS (CC).

After 2 kids, my wife removed her uniform for good in 1989!

Missing bratwurst and German beer, we took a plane to Lahr Germany in 1991 for another posting. We returned back home in 1994 when the Canadian military base closed.  We were among the last 35 families to leave the base!  But before you can leave, you need your transfer paper.  First I was transferred back to Carp (Ontario) but at the Communication Squadron this time. By then I must have had a bad reputation because Carp was closed and my transfer was cancelled.

I was re-assigned to NICS (CC) Foley Lake. This is in Nova Scotia. I was really happy with that, I already knew the equipment and was looking forward to live in a small town (Truro). In February 1994, my wife and I went on a hunting trip… house hunting! We found and bought a nice house.

Upon our return, we got bad news… Foley Lake was closing, our transfer was cancelled!!! However, since we already had bought a house, it was decided to send me to the communication Squadron in Debert, it was even closer to the house.  

In the previous post on my blog I made a comment to Julia about how much we love the maritime, would you believe it but this whole blog post now is about that one statement.

Germany was wonderful but the pace was, at time, as fast as the no speed limit on the autobahn… there were no slow lane, it seems that I rushed and was being rushed every where. I’m out of breath just writing about it:)…

Then we arrived in Nova Scotia (NS)! I remember the first time I went to the grocery store to buy some necessities; it was around 9:00 PM, there was almost no one in the store, I got a couple of things and went to the express register. There was only one client in front of me being served, in a few seconds I was going to be out of there fast and easy! Not so!

When you are in the maritime in a small town, people know each other and there is nowhere to rush to, so they take the time to smell the Mayflowers (official flower of NS of course!). Being clueless about this way of life… I was waiting for the customer to pay and leave. The clerk had a can in her hand and she was about to scan it, I was waiting for the beep that is not coming… I started to focus a little more about what was happening.

The teller was talking to the customer and asking: “So is your father going to Florida this year?”

I’m in the back probably rolling my eyes and thinking “scan the darn can already…” but it took a while before it was done! -I would say in our previous life “a while” was defined as forever. Meanwhile the cashier and the client kept talking like it was NORMAL to do so. Didn’t they know they were delaying ME… then I smiled, I took a deep breath and was thinking: “Richard slow down, you are in NS, no one is pushing me, and I don’t have to push either…” When in Rome do as the Roman does, right?  

We were not even a month in when rumours started spreading like wild fire… Debert was closing the very next year… 6 months later (January 1995) the military was offering the possibility for early retirement.  I realized that I was a dinosaur; my military trade was being phased out.

We stayed only one year in the Maritime, but, it does change a person forever. We were always close to the sea; we had a life rhythm that was slow and meaningful. The landscapes were breathtaking. The people were the best! Just to show you, when we moved to our house, all the neighbours came by to greet us and introduce themselves … we have never seen this before and haven’t seen it since either!