Ralph Diegel was born October 27, 1926 in Ferris, Ontario, just south of North Bay. He had been in the Sea Cadets in high school, so when the war came he opted for the Royal Canadian Navy. Initial training took place in Thunder Bay, and from there he was shipped down to HMCS Cornwallis
Arnold Resnicoff was born October 10, 1946 in Washington, D.C. He grew up there in the context of the 1950s and 60s, witness to the tremendous forces of change that were shaping the world. He lived in the new suburban neighborhoods of the time, watching the miracle of television – on three channels. He also
LCdr Damien Ciotti was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, and he joined the Naval Reserve in HMCS Griffon as a Boatswain in 2004 while attending Lakehead University. He enrolled in the Regular Officer Training Plan in 2005 as a Maritime Surface and Sub-Surface Officer (MARS), and graduated from Lakehead in 2008 with an HB.A
Chris Justason is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, where he is presently a major in the Armoured Corps. He is originally from New Brunswick, where he grew up in the Fredericton area. His family had a military tradition, though it was almost entirely navy-connected; joining as an Armoured officer did allow Chris to
Dr. William Anderson was born December 12, 1927: there is no actual record of his birth, but that is the date that he and his adoptive parents chose. His parents were from Moultrie and Cordele respectively, and their family histories had only recently emerged from the yoke of slavery. The young William knew these people
Tom Wakeman was born November 22, 1922 in Birmingham, England. He was born into a large family of six brothers and one sister. Tom’s father had had a career as a soldier, serving with British imperial forces in the Sudan and India, and he also served with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in the Great War,
Joe Samuels was born December 31, 1930 in Baghdad, Iraq: he was actually uncertain of his birthday but knew that he was born during Hanukkah and upon his emigration to Israel he chose the December 31 date – to coincide with an international celebration! Joe grew up in a Baghdad that he remembers as multicultural
Bill Snow was born September 13, 1922 in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland. He grew up in that small community alongside his five sisters. Bill recalls that his father was a fisherman – but that he did many other jobs in the off season. Bill went to school but left in Grade 8: work was available and
Joice Foley was born April 1, 1924, in Wick, in Hampshire, England. It was a rural area where she has fond memories of the animals in the fields – and of the long walks to school and everywhere else. Joice’s parents were in service, an occupation they expected her to join too. Joice consequently left
Pat Patteson and his twin brother Morris were born November 24, 1921 in Smiley, Texas, a rural farming town. The boys mostly worked on the farm, milking cows and doing other chores; Pat also pumped gas at the local station. For fun the brothers participated in intramurals playing sports, including football, basketball and tennis. At
Frederick Joseph Reid – Joe – was born April 19, 1920, in Sillsville, Ontario. He spent his early years there on the family farm, alongside his seven siblings. The family later moved to Trenton, and that is where Joe spent his formative years. He went to high school there, but he left early to take
Everett Johns was born September 30, 1925 in Ingersoll, Ontario. He grew up there during the difficult years of the Great Depression, going to school and the movies – and occasionally getting in trouble. Everett’s young family life was unfortunately not happy, so when the war came – and when he was old enough –
Howard Kingsland was born October 4, 1921 in Montreal, Quebec, the son of a Great War veteran. He grew up in the city’s north end, and he recalls that while the Great Depression was difficult, the family was able to make ends meet. Howards completed high school and went to work for the CNR, and
Harry Waddingham was born on October 16, 1916 in London, England. Harry’s father was a Great War veteran who had been living in Montreal when the war broke out, so he and Harry’s uncle enlisted in the Canadian Artillery in that conflict. When he went overseas he was deployed briefly in Northern Ireland, and that
Ossie Lakness was born in Govan, Saskatchewan on May 5, 1923. He grew up against the backdrop of the Great Depression in that small farming community, the youngest in a large family. Ossie remembers well those difficult early years, when dust storms and grasshopper plagues impacted the people of the Prairies. When the war came
Bill Balabanow was born February 17, 1926 in the little town of Blue Ridge Summit in southern Pennsylvania, though the family moved to Lancaster in 1931, and that is where he spent most of his childhood. Bill’s parents divorced when he was an infant, so his parental and family memories come mainly from his mother’s
Bob Fischer was born July 14, 1926 in West Allis, Wisconsin. He grew up in that industrial town in a family with five siblings including a twin brother, and he attended Catholic school – all while the Great Depression was unfolding. Bob does remember good times from that decade, but he also remembers working –
Pat Doherty (nee Brannigan) was born June 25, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She recalls living a charmed early life; hers was a theater family, so she was able to live a backstage life, and the family was able to travel and see a bit of America until wartime restrictions crept in. During that time her
Jack Dyson was born March 23, 1926 in Lancashire, England, and he came to Canada with his family when he was 3 years old. Nick’s father had been a coal miner near Liverpool, and he vowed that his young son would never find himself in “the pits”, so he went to Canada and made a
Ila Cole was born March 5, 1925 in Nora Springs, Iowa. She grew up in town there in a large family with eight siblings; Ila worked a number of jobs and she graduated from high school with algebra and shorthand as her favorite subjects. She went on to business college, and worked for a time
Katherine McIntyre was born May 20, 1923 in Toronto. She grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood, where she was lucky to grow up in an affluent family. Her father was a well-known lawyer, and the family was able to avoid the worst aspects of the Great Depression. Katherine attended Bishop Strachan School, and after
Ray Amelio was born August 5, 1945 in Pittsburgh. He enjoyed what he remembers as the idyllic life of 1950s America, though he was aware of the Cold War and the ever present danger. Still, playing in the street and early television counterbalanced those concerns. Ray was attending Duquesne University, where he was struggling to
Tom Instance was born July 28, 1924, in Toronto’s east end. His father was a driver for the TTC, but with four siblings to feed amidst the effects of the Great Depression, Tom left school when he was 14. He delivered papers and groceries and found work where he could, including at a shipyard where
Edwin Cottrell was born January 17, 1922 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His parents moved to Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania the next year though, and that is where he grew up. Edwin remembers a good childhood – and one where he played all kinds of sports. His father – a Great War veteran – worked at the
Cliff Fejfar was born May 1, 1949 in Yankton, South Dakota; when he was 3 the family moved to Sioux City, Iowa, and that’s where Cliff grew up. It was the 1950s, and life was good: Cliff and his friends played baseball, went to school, and watched TV – all the things that punctuated American
Dorothy Jones was born November 29, 1920 in Lancaster, South Carolina. She grew up there with her five siblings, against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the early years of the war. Her father was a barber, and as Dorothy recalls that meant that he held onto his job during the lean years, but
Joe Duffy was born January 1, 1922 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. He grew up there in a large working class family, against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the emerging war. Joe joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1941: it was the “thing to do”, as he and many other veterans have noted.
Doug Hogg was born March 29, 1925 in London, Ontario. He grew up in that city, mostly against the backdrop of the Great Depression. He remembers that his father worked several jobs to support the family, and that his grandmother was able to contribute as she had a pension, having lost two sons in the
Bud Norman was born October 29, 1923 in London, Ontario. He grew up there in his grandparents’ care, attending school and doing all the other things teenagers of the day were doing – school, sports, work, and so on. Bud was able to complete high school at an early age, and he went to work
Don Mitchell was born December 19, 1924 in the Tower Hamlet of Poplar, in London, England. He was an only child, as his parents had lost an older child in the aftermath of the Great War, when conditions were still poor. Don’s father was a veteran in that conflict, having served with the artillery, though
