Member of the Canadian Forces
Combat Engineer branch
And a Proud Canadian
The Carver Presently deployed to Afghanistan
Tribute to Canadian Soldiers (Video)
Act Of Remembrance
They shall grow
not old, As we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, Nor the years condemn [sic].
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
This is how I
serve my Country
How do you ?
Last Updated: Sep 06
Canadian Basic Parachutists German Basic Parachutists French Commando Canadian Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) American Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) British Chemical / Biological Munitions Disposal (BCMD) Advance Water Supply Demolition / Mine warfare Instructor UEO Advance Recon
During my service
for Canada to date I've managed to deploy outside of the country for Hurricanes,
Wars, UN operations and NATO Operations. And inside the country for domestic
operations such as Floods and Ice Storms. Below are some photos and
information on just some of the operations I've participated in . I have spent
25 years to date in
the Canadian Forces and will spend another 10 before I consider changing jobs. I have
completed many phases of training over the past years such as; Bomb Disposal- Canadian and
American, German Airborne, Canadian PARA, Advance Water Supply, French
Commando, Advance Patrolling (LRRPs) and Demolition Instructor, to name a few.
I've managed to spend approx 7 years during my 24 years outside of Canada
on several missions , in Africa such as Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Afghanistan,
Humorous, during which time I managed to find the local
woodcarving shops and tradesman to explore their regional talents. I've
found that Asia is mostly chip carving, where Central and South America
are usable items such as walking canes and staffs. Africa is mostly three
dimensional carvings of indigenous wildlife, human figures and tribal
personalities.
2001 Change Of Come Parade 2 CER Petawawa
Kingston Ontario Apr 1981
I joined the Canadian Forces Apr 1981, The photo above is my Father giving me the oath of allegiance. My Father (Bing Crosby) seen above was a Captain in the Air Force. He was one of the first C-130 Flight Engineers and was the first Flight Engineer to bring the first C-130 into Canada. I plan on having his life story on the net, soon as it's completed.
OPERATION OTTER
1 Troop of 23 Field Sqn of 2 Combat Engineer Regiment
During Operation "Otter" I was tasked as the troop Warrant Officer in charge of bridge construction. The two photos above are of that construction. The second photo is of the Bailey Bridge being placed into its final position by crane. This bridge is constructed by hand with each piece weighing upwards to 576 lbs.
BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE
The longest Bailey Bridge ever built was constructed during WWII Its name was "BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE" built by the 34, 35, 36 37 Combat Engineer units.
ICE STORM OF 1998
During the Ice Storm I was tasked as the troop Warrant Officer in charge of 1 Troop 23 Field Squadron, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment. The troop's task was to deploy, setup and support the local residents with fire wood, food, and physical support where possible. The troops also spent many long hours watching key instillations and maintained an over watch on the community of St Eugene in southern Ontario, plus a 100 km radius around the community. The troops would find themselves knocking on each and every door within our area of operations ensuring everyone was aware of our presence, and just what support we could provide in the way of generators, food, wood and transport. It was one of the only times that we, as Canadian soldiers, were able to support our own population. It was one of the most rewarding times of my life.
OPERATION CENTRAL
HURRICANE MITCH
Disaster Assistance Relief Team
This Photo is of the flood plain near the town of Sonageria along the Saba river
During Hurricane Mitch a huge amount of water fell over a very short period of time. This caused tremendous flooding throughout Honduras, Central America. As Canadians, we deployed to the area of the Saba valley to the small town of Sonageria where we set up a medical station and water supply point . The Engineers' main task was to set up camp and provide water to the camp and local inhabitants. This, however, changed rapidly and became much more. Again I was tasked as the troop Warrant Officer in charge of the of the Combined Field troop, or Composite Troop, which consisted of Combat Engineers and Construction Engineers.
During my tour in Honduras I deployed on several reconnaissance missions, one which was looking for the bridge crossing the Saba River some 20 km from base camp. Once we reached the first river and crossed the small bridge 3 km from the main river, I was astonished to find out that under all the banana trees there was a bridge. To the untrained eye- me -it just looked like a very large pile of banana trees. I quickly named the bridge the 'Banana Bridge'. After several hundred meters, we came across a tree that had washed down from the mountains. It was in the area of 2 m across at the base and was some 20m in length. It was a massive mahogany tree with dark red grain. I will never forget the monstrous size of this tree, and when I looked at it, all I could think about was the power of the raging Sona River and how it moved this monsters tree some 50 km or more. But, that was nothing compared to the Sona Bridge that was ripped apart and tossed around the valley, which hours ago was a raging torrent of water. The bridge piers were ripped from the earth and rotated 180 degrees and then driven back into the earth several km down river. You have to understand that they must have weighed some 20 tones plus each.
BOSNIA 1997 (NATO)
During my deployment into Bosnia I was tasked as the Squadron Operations Sgt. I lived near the small town of Zigon.
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During my tour in Bosnia I managed to make my way around the local countryside. The photo on the left is a tunnel through the mountains on the way to the Canadian camp "Camp Maple Leaf". .
During my time in country I managed to spend my spare time carving fish and learning how to carve ball and claw legs the old world way. I used such woods as walnut and Yasen which, until Bosnia, I never new existed. But, to my surprise and excitement, does exist. Yasen, when finished in oil, looks like marble with light and dark veins running through in all directions. It looks outstanding on tables and doors. I carved several small tables and statues during the six months I was deployed..
The wood was from a local carpenter that was very skilled at making old cathedral doors from Yasen. He showed me several boards that were placed in the rafters of his shop. But, of course during the shop tour, he was inclined to tell me his life story and how he and his wife eluded the Germans when they overran Yugoslavia during the second world war. He, in fact, showed me the location where they had hidden during the war. It was in his backyard, by the shop, in an old woodpile! He and his wife hid from the Nazis for several hours! In his workshop, high up in the rafters, was the Yasen. He informed me that it had been placed there by he and his brother before WWII, and has been there ever since. I had to explained my excitement when I saw the grain of the wood. It was an astonishing dark marble color . Later that week I sat down with him and his wife for tea and found out that they were very much down on their luck and needed cash to purchase food and supplies. I, of course, offered him and his wife money. They, however, refused such things as a handout. So, he offered me the wood that had been sitting curing for several decades now in the rafters of his shop. I paid some 400 German marks for 10 sticks of the wood. Which, in Cdn dollars at the time, would of been in the area of 600 CDN dollars. I would estimate the cost of the wood to be in the area of 30 dollars a board foot, but I was satisfied with the price. After all, I was planning on just giving him the money as a gift.
RWANDA 1994
UNITED NATIONS MISSION TO RWANDA
During my deployment to Rwanda I was tasked with Section Commander of a field section of Combat Engineers. Our task was to construct the camp in Kigale city. That task, however, changed into Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) or bomb disposal. I would spend the next two months with two detachments of Engineers and two UK EOD team members working for me as we made our way through the city and cleared it of all mines and bombs.
The photos above is of me in my bomb suite during clearance of sweating dynamite (when Nitro Glycerine is spilling out of the dynamite) The second photo is me planning out how to remove an unexploded mortar bomb using explosives, without detonating the bomb. Yes we were successful, the bomb was removed without detonating and the house was saved. Dare-say the owners where quite happy.
SIERRA LEONE
2001
UK TASK FORCE
BLOOD DIAMONDS OR CONFLICT DIAMONDS
Sierra Leone
During this tour of duty I would find myself as an Engineer Advisor to the Sierra Leone Army Engineers. The last ten years of war had taken its toll on the country and the army was in shambles. As the Revolutionary United Front or RUF disarmed and moved back, we moved forward ensuring the RUF had no place to run and hide as we set up fire bases throughout the country. I would spend most of my time in the jungles of Sierra Leone in Fire Bases and Patrol Bases and leading several dismounted & Hind D Attack helicopter border patrols with Liberia.
The Photo above is of a Sierra Leone Firebase we called "Firebase Ben". It was built in the eastern jungle of the country.
During my off time on the weekends, I would venture down to the local carving shop by the beach in Freetown to look at and carve local woods. During one such occasions I gave Tumba a carving magazine from the States. In the magazine were several North American animals. One of the pages had a cotton tail rabbit. Not thinking about it much, I spent several hours carving and watching the local carvers work since I would be deployed into the jungle the following days looking for the RUF. Three weeks later, I would return to the carving shop in Freetown to find several large carved white rabbits sitting in the shop floor. When asked why carve a rabbit, the master carver replied "because it was in the book". It turned out that he had set his team of carvers to carve every picture in the magazine, not even knowing what a rabbit was or where it was from but, because it was in the magazine, it must be made.
Short stories of Carvers and Wood workers
Suicide Chicken Of Sierra Leone
In 2002, I was promoted to the rank of Master Warrant Officer and moved to the position of Squadron Sergeant Major, 25 Support Squadron within 2 Combat Engineer Regiment based out of CFB Petawawa, Ontario. During the first year the squadron managed to deploy four times on several different mission.
The Photos above were taken during the 600 m range construction in CFB Meaford. The squadron was tasked with constructing one 600m x 350m firing range with supporting buildings. Basically, the range had to be cut out of an existing forest and shaped into something usable for the base. This task would take three weeks in a tactical scenario.
AIR MOBILE OPS
During the winter of 2003, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER) elements of 23 Fd and 24 Fd Sqn, with support from the remainder of 2CER, deployed to northern Ontario, Canada with the task of destroying an old one-lane timber constructed bridge. The overall length of the bridge was approx 120m long and stood some 25 m in height. The Battle started with elements of the units Reconnaissance (Reccon) detachments deploying by helicopter 24 hrs in advance with the aim of securing intelligence information on the enemy's poisons and strengths. The recce unit was to secure the Landing Zone for the waves of helicopters that would arrive the next day. First thing in the morning, everything went according to plan and 23 Fd Sqn deployed by 3 waves of helicopters. Their task was to cleare the bridge of all enemy and to secure a zone of 1 km around to bridge. This would allow 24 Fd Sqn to land and prepare the bridge with explosives. The complete mission transpired over a 24 hour period with the first helicopter landing 0600 hrs and the last lift of wounded and prisoners of war lifting off at 1300 hrs the following day.
Before and After the bridge demolitions
ISAF
I was deployed to Afghanistan from the 21st July 2003 to 31st Jan 2004 . My mission was to be EOD, or Explosives Ordinance Disposal, Advisor on all EOD & Mine intelligence matters and to be an active member of the Kabul Multinational Brigade (KMNB) forensic team based in the City Of Kabul, Afghanistan.
This is a photo of me standing beside one of my carvings that I completed during my tour in Kabul. I decided that Kabul and the Canadian Camps needed a little touch of Canada. So, I set aside three hours a night during my time off to carve two poles 4.5m in length, or as my wife calls them 'Backyard Sculptures'. I am told the Totem Pole now resides in the ISAF HQ compound.
Want the full story about this carving just click on the photo above.
Jingle Truck is the basic transport vehicle in Kabul. This type of vehicle is covered with decorations and chains that hang from the bumper which causes the vehicle to make the jingle noise, hence the name Jingle Truck. The photo on the right is me in an Afghan ammo bunker approx 20 tons of old Taliban ammo that needed to be destroyed, and eventually was.
During a EOD reconnaissance mission's in Kabul area.
Recce with Afghan and ISAF members Discarded Ammo Point
After Kabul (2003) I was posted to LFCA TC Meafod in Southern Ontario, an excellent base. It's not very often you have the opportunity to develop young soldiers . My position started as the A Company Sergeant Major, this was for the first 6 months. Then, I moved off to the Chief Instructor position for another 6 months. From there I moved over to Base Operations as the Base Operations Sergeant Major for the last year. Now I am back to Skills Coy as the CSM again. Its an excellent job. To be able to train and influence young soldiers and train them to serve their country. How long do I expect to be there ? Good question. Not long I hope, being a field soldier ,I need to get back to operations and deployments.
Ranges
Ironman 2005 Now training for Ironman 2006 15 Sept 06
Ironman Video Army News
I did, however, have the chance to participate in one of the toughest competitions in the Canadian Forces. "IRONMAN". It consists of:
32 Km run with a 40 lb weight + 4 Km portage with 40 lbs plus a canoe + 8 Km Canoe paddle + 6 Km run with 40 Lb weight Total of 50 km.
My time for this fun run
Ironman 2005 - 8:54:00 hours, finishing in 96th position in a field of 300 competitors.
Ironman 2006 - 7:44:31 hours, finishing in 3rd position in my division.
Not bad for a 46 year old soldier.
AFGHANISTAN SECOND TOUR OF DUTY IS NOW ON GOING 2007-2008
So this is how I serve my country
HOW DO YOU !
Chimo !