april 08, 2009 12:53am
September 2, 2008 Three more Interviews
Tuesday September 2, 2008.
Three more Interviews, jumped on a Ferry for Saint John.
The day started with a trip to downtown Digby to pick up the booth that we had used all weekend. I managed to get everything loaded up and I headed back to the legion. Sue Dexter-White had set up three more interviews this morning for me before I was to take the ferry to Saint John. I did the interviews with Sherman Rice, Philip Dondale and Thomas Cleveland. Sue and I said our good-bye's and I thanked her for all of her help over the weekend.
I had my final look at Digby on my way to the ferry. If you ever get a chance to visit Digby, for that matter anywhere in Nova Scotia take the time, because the people are great and there is lots to see.
I used the time on the ferry to catch up on my log book. As I am writing the ship is rolling a little. This makes me wonder what must have been going though the minds of all the soldiers, navy and merchant marine personnel that were headed for England during WW2. They must have been thinking of family and home. I know that is what I am thinking about as I make the turn for home on this sunny crossing of the Bay of Fundy. I'LL bet that when these men and women that crossed the ocean, from the port of Halifax, had a lot of things going though their minds. Will I come home? Will my wife or girlfriend wait for me? Is my mum going to be mad when she finds out that I joined the forces at the age of 14? By the way there was lots of men who signed up for combat that where under age. They left as boys and came back, if they came back, as men.
After typing for two and a half hours I decided to go up on deck and have a look see. The wind was blowing quite briskly. Standing there on the deck at the bow of the ship I realized that I liked being on the water and if I had to choose between the services, I would enjoy being in the navy. A stiff wind in our face, a rolling deck under your feet, the smell of salt in the air, it felt like home. Although flying in a spitfire over England during the Battle of Briton must have been exiting. But one thing is for sure, I would never go into the infantry. The mud and the cold the bombs and the primitive conditions, I respect all the guys that served in that branch of the military. I interviewed a infantry man who didn't take his uniform off from landing at D-Day until three months latter. Now that is commitment. Those men had it tough.
After we docked in Saint John, I drove the Blue Bomber to a side street in town to see if my remote Internet would get a signal. I got onto the Internet and proceeded to check my email. I had not been able to get onto the net for a week or so. I had over one hundred messages. I tried to answer them all. I received many letters of a-job-well-done, which is very encouraging.
I drove over to the Lancaster Legion in Saint John. I walked in and got a enthusiastic welcome. Everybody had seen the live at five interview that aired last week on CTV in Halifax about our organization. I heard about a dance that night for the big hall upstairs this night. I asked if I could offer some T-shirts for donations during the dance. Wayne, the manager didn't seem to have a problem with it, so I set up a little display.
I had a chance to give a little speech at the dance. I told the crowd of my trip and of my sponsor, without whom this trip would have never taken place. The Van Dyke family of Journey's by Gerry Van Dyke of Cambridge Ontario are great citizens of Canada. The evening went very well with the donation coming in. I talked with the cute bartender all night, but she is married, so I guess I'm still available Ladies. I turned in about mid night.
