Leadership by Example

Heroes Remember

Leadership by Example

Transcript

The last year, my commander, by then we had a Canadian general come in as the deputy force commander, he said "Don, I want you to go up on the Golan Heights and take command." Its usually a logistics job, but there was some operational problems there, so I was sent up on the Golan, as the commanding officer for a year and my wife was sent home, because it was an unaccompanied job, I was not going to go up on the hill and have my wife stashed in Damascus or Tiberias somewhere, I was there, they were there unaccompanied, I'd be there unaccompanied. They did six months, I was the only one that did a year, but that's beside the point. Once again, leadership by example.

Description

Mr Ethell describes when he was posted for a year in the Golan Heights and he sent his wife home because the other men were not allowed to have their wives with them.

Donald Stewart Ethell

Donald Stewart Ethell was born in July 1937 and was raised in Victoria, BC. His father was a Veteran of both the First and Second World Wars. His mother was a nurse. He and his sister attended boarding school because of his parents' jobs and he was only home at Christmas and during the summer. His mother passed away when Mr. Ethell was 10 years old.

When he enlisted, Mr. Ethell joined the Queen's Own Rifles in Calgary. After several years of serving as an infantryman he was recommended for the officer training. Mr. Ethell graduated from the program and rose to the rank of Colonel. He went on to command Canadian, and United Nations, forces in various missions all over the world. In the mid 1990s, Col. Ethell retired with over thirty-five years of distinguished service.

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