Soldier shell shocked

Heroes Remember

Soldier shell shocked

Transcript

I bent down and I crawled in there and I felt around and I felt army boots, I knew it was one of our boys eh, I said, “Can you move?” He didn't answer, he's still moaning. I said, “C'mon, I'll help you, back up, I'll pull on yah!” Still no talk but he moved, you know. So I got him back and I sat him in there, he had his chin shot off here, all this was shot off. Sat him in the corner where the cement is and I said, “Look, we can't fool around here, we gotta go.” He's shaking, you know, he's shot. I said, “You can't talk but I know you can hear me.” So, his name is Derhack, he's dead now. He used to live in Norwood. I said, “Bill, you've only got a few minutes to get out of this hole with me and I'll take you to an AP station and we'll get to a hospital if we can, you know.” I said, “Okay, I'll make you a deal, I'll count up to 10.” I said, “If you don't get up by 10 and follow me,” I said, “I'll take care of you, not the Japs, then I'll know nobody is going to hurt you after,” I said, “Because you're going to die the way you are anyway, he's bleeding eh.” Then, “No, no, no!” I said, “Look, I'm gong to start counting.” I got a rifle and a tommy gun, eh. I started counting like I said, “If you're not up on your feet, I'll pull the trigger.” And I said, “I'll tell it, I'll tell anybody why. I think it's better me looking after you than the Japs.” You could get wounded again and suffer for quite a while, who knows, right? So I started counting and I got kind of worried after I got about 6, 7, 8, you know, he's not getting up so finally at 9 I'm dragging my words then and then he started moving so I didn't keep on counting, I stopped. So he got up and he's shaking, everything, he's tall, a tall guy, you know. I said, “Bill, relax, we're in the same boat, both of us. I'm going to help you but you gotta help me to help you,” I said, “Otherwise I can't do it, we'll both get it.” So he got up. Anyways I got him to that AP station. There they give us a shot in the arm, both of us.

Description

Mr. Bourbonniere stumbles upon a fellow soldier and he tries to help.

Armand Bourbonniere

Armand Bourbonniere was born on May 7th 1922 in Ericksdale, Manitoba. He was the youngest of ten children. His father worked in the dairy transportation business. Mr. Bourbonniere left school when he was 14 years old to work for his father picking up cream and eggs from local farms until he turned sixteen when he moved to Winnipeg and worked at a cleaning company picking up clothes until he joined the Army in September 1939.

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