My VAC Account
My VAC AccountGoodchild arrived in Cyprus in 1980, and immediately began supporting the United Nations peacekeeping mission. He was stationed in there for six months and remembers a weird mix of feelings: fear coupled with a willingness to help in any way he could. "I was always ready to go, jump into action, whatever they needed… I was ready to do whatever, whenever."
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.
Indigenous. Woman. Veteran. These are all things Corporal (retired) Jocelyne Eastman has always been proud to embrace as her identity and in service to her country.
She knew Indigenous Veterans had historically been stripped of their identities during service, and she didn’t want that to happen to her. “All those important pieces that make an individual can sometimes be lost in service,” she said.
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.
“I knew I wanted to be a soldier when I was just 4 years old,” says Wendy Jocko, Chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation. “We were living in Petawawa at the time and I noticed a soldier at a store across from my home. I looked at him and I thought to myself, that’s what I’m going to do when I grow up.”
“...throughout the history of my family, we have had a long association with military service.”
Terri Orser was introduced to the military during the summer of 1980. She was at a baseball tournament when one of her teammates mentioned she’d seen an ad for youth employment with the military. She ended up enlisting. “I said I’ll just try it out. So I did and I loved it, fell in love with it right away”.
Sergeant Stephen Thomas attended Birchmount Collegiate in Scarborough where his interest in the CAF sparked following a wrestling match. “I had defeated my opponent, who was much larger, and after our match he told me ‘you can’t do what I do.’ Turns out he was part of the Army reserves at the time. So, I joined the Forces on a dare.”
As a young Quebecois, Simon Mailloux’s desire to join the military and serve his country was amplified by his experience in the Air Cadets. “I loved my time in the Cadets. It made me even more certain that I loved this world and that I wanted to make a career out of it.” That was the beginning of a great adventure filled with many challenges and triumphs.
Robert Thibeau enlisted in 1972 as a Private with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). In 1978, he was deployed to Cyprus as the Section Commander to look after operational standards and resolve issues as they arose. He returned to his home base in Calgary and promoted to Sergeant in 1979. He rose to the rank of Master Warrant Officer, all while completing his high school diploma.
