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Letter From Bus

Heroes Remember

Transcript
There was three of us. Of course, we made fun with everything. We got everything all ready for all the canteens, you know, the cook shacks and everything. And they were all delivered by men soldiers. We never did any hard work. It was, it was always fun. Interviewer: Well, that’s great to have the fun attitude about, during wartime. It was fun, but it was sad. Every time I got a letter from Bus, I’d cry. Interviewer: Because you knew that, the danger that was around those men. He told me that there was times he was so scared, didn’t know how to pray. He was a Catholic, too. So am I. Interviewer: And it’s hard to realize the fear, to define the fear that’s going on with these soldiers. It must have been terrible. We have no idea. We were scared for them, but we have no idea how bad it was. Interviewer: And did you find you were able to give him a sense of calm in the letters you were writing back and forth? Yes, his letters always said so.
Description

Ms. Gaspard recalls the happier times in her service like receiving letters from her boyfriend but also remembers the sadness that wartime brought.

Jesse Gaspard

Ms. Gaspard was born April 26, 1918, in British Columbia. That same year, both parents died from an epidemic flu, and she was then raised by her aunt Minnie. At the age of 19, while living in Victoria, BC, she and her two girlfriends decided to join the army. She received her training in Vermilion, Alberta, and became part of the Canadian Women’s Army Corp. Ms. Gaspard remained in Canada and provided much of her wartime service at Currie Barracks in Calgary, Alberta. She specialized in administration and worked in the ration stores. After the war, Ms. Gaspard moved to Ashcroft, BC with her husband, a Second World War Veteran.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
1:25
Person Interviewed:
Jesse Gaspard
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Location/Theatre:
Canada
Branch:
Army
Units/Ship:
Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC)
Rank:
Administration
Occupation:
Clerk

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce

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