Sign in to My VAC Account
Sign in to My VAC AccountI was sent to Egypt as a peacekeeper to be part of the Canadian Contingent United Emergency Forces in the Middle East for Operation DANACA. I was there from May to November 1978. My main role was to maintain the camp facilities, as well as some remote forward posts in the Sinai Peninsula.
Growing up in rural Newfoundland, Two-Spirit Indigenous Veteran Sharp Dopler had a curious mind and a gift for learning.
Dopler was born into a military family of Irish and Aniuyunwiya/Meskwakie/Ashkwakie descent, and despite passing as white, they experienced frequent acts of racial discrimination.
Although they were given unconditional acceptance and love by their family, Dopler’s self-esteem suffered. They said they never “really felt seen or good at anything.”
I was with the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment in Montréal and I had just rejoined the army. I was a Lieutenant at the time. It was the first time the Reserves had been mobilized since the Second World War. I heard on the radio that reservists had to report to their units! I remember in those first few days we saw total darkness, then exploding blue transformers. It was surreal! I served three weeks during the operation.
For most of Canada’s history, the military officially barred members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community from serving in uniform. This legacy of discrimination meant most of their stories were deeply buried. Recent research has brought more of these inspiring and heartbreaking stories to light.
Michelle Douglas was born in Ottawa. As a young woman, she pursued studies in law and graduated at the top of her class in 1987. She then joined the Canadian Armed Forces.
On a hot August afternoon, former Military Medic Sergeant (Retired) Jessica Miller arranges bouquets in an air conditioned building on her rural Nova Scotia flower and vegetable farm. The air is fresh and fragrant as she cuts the stems, explaining how she had grown and arranged the flowers for a swanky Annapolis Valley wedding the night before.
Emilie Létourneau grew up in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec—population 40,000. Her origins may have been humble, but her adventurous spirit was anything but. At age 17, Emilie enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). She served as a Marine Systems Engineering Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy for just under 11 years.
Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Claude “Ollie” Cromwell (Retired) was born in Digby, Nova Scotia, and moved to Montréal as a young teenager. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1979 and began a long career in military logistics. If our men and women in uniform are not effectively supported with the required resources, they cannot fulfill their duties—a fact that makes the logistical trades vital.
Veterans Affairs Canada gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Kathy Grant and Sarah Onyango for their support in the development of the department’s commemorative resources on the military service of Black Canadians.
