Tracey Arial

I Volunteered
Canadian Vietnam Vets Remember

Did you know?

• For every one of the 30,000 Americans that Canada sheltered during the Vietnam War, a Canadian citizen volunteered to serve with the U.S. Army.
• Each of these people needed a security clearance from the R.C.M.P., but the organization refuses to clarify how many such clearances they performed in those years.
• Five Canadian peacekeepers died in Vietnam because of their perceived role as spies for the American Forces. Four were military soldiers serving with the Canadian Armed forces and the fifth, a clerk, was found hanged with his hands tied behind his back in Saigon.
• Canada gave aid to Southeast Asia from 1950 until at least 1975 under something called the Columbo Plan, which was set up under the auspices of the Commonwealth Consultative Committee on South and Southeast Asia. Members included Australia, Britain, Ceylon, India, Pakistan and New Zealand. Until 1975, Canada’s portion of the aid went only to South Vietnam.
• John W. Blake, the “walker” who marched 3,200 miles from Fort Lewis, Seattle to Yorktown, Virginia in full combat gear in 1982 to commemorate the unveiling of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, was actually a Canadian? After struggling for years with PTSD, Blake killed himself in Hilo, Hawaii on February 13, 1996 when he was 47 years old. His family then spent five years fighting to have him buried in the "Field of Honour" in St. John's. When that proved impossible, they buried him in the military section of Forest Lawn Ocean View Memorial Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. His funeral, which took place on April 7, 2001 was attended by representatives from his unit and a two-person honour guard from Fort Lewis.
• Today, veterans like John and their family members join together in Canadian Vietnam Veteran Associations across the country to help avoid his fate. Members work actively to support veterans and their families who are still struggling with PTSD or other war-time health issues. They also fundraise for memorials in Windsor, Ottawa, Melocheville,and elsewhere. Look for them at Remembrance Day parades, during "Rolling Thunder" on Memorial Day and whenever else veterans are honoured.

You’ll find the story about these honourable veterans in my 1996 book I Volunteered, Canadian Vietnam Vets Remember.