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Description
Mr. Nickerson's one-year tour of duty with the UN Force in Korea ended in late 1951. He returned to Canada and remained in the Canadian Army until 1968. He recalls some of the peacekeeping missions he took part in, with some critical words regarding the United Nations at the end of the 20th century.
Transcription
I served in United Nations, Cyprus, Egypt, the Congo, and that and it's just, it's a big waste of money and a whole lot of people making big bucks and that's the end of it.
Interviewer: These Peacekeeping operations that you were involved in, did you, do you believe they did good?
No, I think all they done was supported the economy of the country that we happened to be in. The only one that done any good and they pulled them out of there too quick was the Congo. And it's right back, this present day, they're in exactly the same deal right now. But Cyprus was just a futile, all you were was a, a bullet shield between Greek Cypriots and the Turks. And when the Turks finally got fed up with it then they, they took the biggest part of Cyprus and they haven't give it back since.
Interviewer: You were there as a Peacekeeper in Cyprus?
Yes.
Interviewer: Where else were you a Peacekeeper?
Egypt.
Interviewer: What do you recall about the Peacekeeping in Egypt?
Same thing.
Interviewer: You don't believe any particular good was achieved there?
Not at all.
Interviewer: Where else were you a Peacekeeper?
The Congo. The only thing that, I figure in the Congo, it achieved some, it was total chaos in the, in the Congo, and that. They were just out and out murdering people and everything and nuns and missionaries and everything else. And, at least it stabilized it enough that a, a government could take over and try to sort it out afterwards and they pulled the UN out.