Unit’s Accomplishments

Video file

Description
Major-General MacKenzie expresses the phenomenal achievement of his troops and that no one let him down.

Lewis MacKenzie

Major-General Lewis Mackenzie was born April 30, 1940 in Truro, Nova Scotia and raised in nearby Princeport. He is a graduate of Xavier Junior College, Sydney, Cape Breton and the University of Manitoba. He is a retired general, author and media commentator. General MacKenzie is famous for establishing and commanding Sector Sarajevo’s part of the United Nations Protection Force UNPROFOR in Yugoslavia in 1992. As a result he became the only Canadian, military or civilian, to be awarded a second Meritorious Service Cross. After his many years of service, General MacKenzie retired from the Canadian Forces in 1993. His personal account of his military experiences are written in a book he wrote, “Peacekeeper, Road to Sarajevo”. As well, MacKenzie wrote his second book, “Soldiers Made Me Look Good”. Since retirement, MacKenzie is a regular commentator and in demand as a lecturer in leadership. Major-General MacKenzie continues his role as a leader and a positive influence for the Canadian Youth.

Transcript
Interviewer: When you think back to your mission in Sarajevo in ‘92, what would you say was your unit’s greatest accomplishment? Nobody screwed up. If one of them had of screwed up you wouldn’t be talking to me. I mean, that’s a phenomenal achievement that nobody screwed up, everybody did their job, did it well. I mean I can pick out examples of unbelievable stability and common sense and braveness. The highjacking of a recce platoon, the shelling of the camp, being ambushed on some of the deliveries and all of that. Those are all what you expect from a well-trained military force, especially the battalion. That’s got a good command in control and good leadership, but the fact is nobody but nobody, nobody got drunk and did this or that, or nobody, you know, shot somebody else or anything like that and this was the first of sort of beyond peacekeeping. What I call, you know, chapter six and a half, not chapter seven. So yeah they just did an outstanding job with no blemishes.

Meta Data
Medium
Video
Owner
Veterans Affairs Canada
War, Conflict or Mission
Canadian Armed Forces
Location/Theatre
Sarajevo
Person Interviewed
Lewis MacKenzie
Branch
Army
Units/Ship
Royal Canadian Regiment
Military Rank
Major-General
Duration
1:29
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