Esprit de Corps back issues from May 2005:
On target? Following the latest budget, the Liberal government got kudos for pledging to add 3,000 reservists to the military. This amounts to the same 3,000 part-time troop increase they announced--but never funded--in 2000.(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... As part of its last election platform, the Liberal Party promised to add a 5,000-strong "peacekeeping" brigade to the Canadian Forces. In March 2005's federal budget, it was announced that an additional 3,000 reservists would also be enrolled. According to Brigadier-General ...
Treatment of women in CF.(POSTED IN: Letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
May 01, 2005; ... I must say I am not surprised by (Scott Taylor's) final comment "to quit whipping a dead horse ... recruiters must simply seek out the best, qualified candidates--regardless of gender, sexual persuasion or ethnic background." (Article "Female Soldier Drive Just Futile" is available online ...
Questions over HMCS Huron.(POSTED IN: Letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
May 01, 2005; ... Along with the news of HMCS Chicoutimi being sent to Halifax for further work, I noted that, according to the website www.navybooks.com, "The Canadian destroyer HMCS Huron was finally decommissioned at Esquimalt on 31 March, having spent over four years alongside in extended readiness. The ...
Aimless recruits?(POSTED IN: Letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
May 01, 2005; ... In reference to a recent Canadian Press article entitled "Army study paints picture of aimless, violent recruits", how can the Canadian Forces expect to recruit 5,000 troops? I mean, who would want to join and serve under officers who state that those interested in joining the military ...
Differing liberal standards.(POSTED IN: Letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
May 01, 2005; ... In reference to questions concerning the Gomery inquiry, Prime Minister Paul Martin told the House of Commons that the majority of the members of the Liberal Party of Canada "should not have to bear ... the burden of the activities of a very small few who have colluded against the party." ...
The Paris cannon.(POSTED IN: Letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
May 01, 2005; ... The photo on page 20 of Volume 12, Issue 2 depicts a 170mm WWI German field gun on a flatcar; it is not the Paris Gun as stated in the accompanying photo caption. The Paris Gun was of 210mm calibre and fired a 120kg shell to a ...
Correction.(Correction Notice)
May 01, 2005 ... The e-mail address of Mr. Dick Malott ("Old Guard" in ...
CF language policy.(POSTED IN: Letters to the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
May 01, 2005; ... Congratulations on the new format of the magazine (Volume 12 Issue 4). I'm glad I stuck with you through thick and thin! As for the article about language policy, doesn't Ron Coleman realize that francophones in the Canadian Forces always spoke in English so that all could ...
Help at the point of a gun: Canada's ongoing mission in Afghanistan.
May 01, 2005; ... Thank you for shopping at Wally World," says U.S. Sgt. Ryan Brown, borrowing from Wal-Mart's greeter's handbook as he hands a begrizzled Afghan a blanket and gloves. The man smiles and gives him a thumbs up after Brown stamps the back of his hand with a blue marker to make sure he doesn't ...
So much for a Canadian policy.(Column)
May 01, 2005; ... If you've ever wondered why government policy papers are drier than dust, and just as intellectually filling, you might want to consider the merits of lulling your reader to sleep so they don't realize what they're reading. After my third cup of coffee and the twelve-hundredth ...
Sponsorship not just a Liberal issue.(Column)
May 01, 2005; ... It would appear that Paul Martin and his Liberal party have resigned themselves to the fact that their minority government is soon going to collapse. Rather than continue defending themselves from allegations of financial abuse, they have begun pre-election attacks on the opposition. When ...
The grievance process.(COMMENTARY)(Column)
May 01, 2005; ... In 1995, just before I retired as an army communications officer after 34 years of service, I submitted a grievance. The final decision took just over ten years, slow even by DND standards. In June 2000, five years after I submitted my grievance, then Defence Minister Art ...
Industry Q&A with Mercedes-Benz.
May 01, 2005 ... Following a letter published in Volume 12, Issue 3 ("Nitty on the Gritty"), in which a soldier complained about the fatigue failures found "everywhere" on the Gelandewagens used in Afghanistan and his challenge that we had "missed" the story; we contacted Mercedes-Benz directly to get ...
Esprit de Corps celebrates new look!
May 01, 2005; ... In last month's publisher's letter, Scott Taylor announced Esprit de Corps' new look. As Scott pointed out, our last major redesign took place in 1991 when the magazine switched to a monthly format, targeted at newsstands and subscribers. A format we hoped would be reader-friendly. ...
Ex-PM takes heat for subs.(INCOMING: Hits & misses)(Jean Chretien's military policy)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... The Commons defence committee has issued its long-awaited report on the fire that broke out aboard HMCS Chicoutimi (above) last October which claimed the life of Lt. Chris Saunders. Pulling no punches, the all-party committee was unanimous in condemning former Prime Minister Jean Chretien ...
Fraser strikes again!(Sheila Fraser says)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... In her latest report to Parliament, Auditor General Sheila Fraser revealed that the Department of National Defence's complicated multibillion-dollar C41SR command-and-control programme is missing key components that could result in costly duplication and incompatible systems. DND has ...
Project "too warlike"?(INCOMING: Hits & misses)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... Veterans groups have reached their goal of raising $250,000 toward the cost of erecting monuments to 14 Canadian military heroes (including WWI General Sir Arthur Currie, above) near the National War Memorial on Confederation Square in Ottawa. The federal government will pay the rest of ...
Say no to missile defence.(INCOMING: Hits & misses)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... The cornerstone of Canada-U.S. military relations, NORAD, would have crumbled if Canada had not agreed to allow it to serve as the early warning system for President George W. Bush's controversial ballistic missile defence program (BMD), Defence Minister Bill Graham (above) has finally ...
T-33 Silver Star retired.(INCOMING: Hits & misses)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... After 54 years in service, including two decades as a trainer for thousands of CF fighter pilots, the venerable T-33 Silver Star (pictured) was officially retired last month at a ceremonial flypast at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, attended by Esprit de Corps' own Katherine Taylor. ...
Phase 1 hits midway mark.(INCOMING: Hits & misses)(Canadian Forces has taken delivery of the 40th Phase 1 modernized CF-18 Hornet)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... The CF has taken delivery of the 40th Phase 1 modernized CF-18 Hornet from Boeing International. This marks the midway point for the Phase 1 modernization program. The $800 million contract with Boeing, awarded in 2001, includes a technical upgrade package that will help extend ...
Mae West" inventor dies.(INCOMING: Hits & misses)(Obituary)
May 01, 2005 ... Inventor Andrew Toti, who designed the inflatable device that saved the lives of thousands of World War II airmen, died last month in Modesto, California. He was 92. Mr. Toti invented the self-inflating life-saving jacket named in honour of Mae West (pictured), the voluptuous Hollywood ...
Keep on truckin'.(INCOMING: Hits & misses)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005 ... The competition is heating up as companies position themselves to bid on a contract for new army trucks. Two years ago the existing old fleet of Medium Logistic Vehicle, Wheeled (MLVWs) was grounded for lack of spare parts and corrosion. The MLVW's rapid replacement is no longer an ...
Canada's forgotten war babies: some Canadian soldiers left behind a second family.
May 01, 2005; ... In the first installment I introduced one of the most contentious social issues surrounding Canada's participation in the Second World War: the thousands of abandoned and illegitimate offspring that our servicemen fathered abroad. Today these war "babies" are in or nearing their ...
War of 1812 ... the battle of Lundy's lane: on the night of July 25, 1814, the British fought American forces to a bloody stalemate.(THE FIGHT FOR CANADA)
May 01, 2005; ... By the summer of 1814, the deadwood had been cleared away from the American high command. Generals Hull, Rensselaer, Dearborn and Hampton had been replaced by younger, more competent officers. Jacob Brown, the new commander of the Army of the North, was several cuts above his posturing and ...
Canadian peacekeepers at war: untold stories of blue berets in battle.
May 01, 2005; ... December 31, 1994 -- Tensions were mounting in southern Croatia and Canadian peacekeepers were hard pressed to enforce the ceasefire. The local Serb militia suspected that the United Nations was turning a blind eye to escalating Croatian military offensives. Serbian hostility towards the ...
So you think you know your military history? Well, think again!(AT EASE: Military trivia & humour)
May 01, 2005 ... Each month we publish five questions to test your military knowledge as part of our "At Ease" feature, a collection of military trivia, humour and quotations. If you would like to challenge your fellow trivia fans, quiz masters Les Peate and Bill Twatio welcome your questions for inclusion ...
Peacekeeping with style.(AT EASE: Military trivia & humour)
May 01, 2005; ... Military women and other feminine fighting machines need not fret any longer. By following a few simple fashion rules, it is possible to kick the enemy's behind and look good at the same time! Any bracelet or earrings worn on the battlefield must co-ordinate with the metal of ...
No disgrace for Brit draftees!(KOREAN WAR)(military aspects of William Purves and George Hodkinson)
May 01, 2005; ... Some time ago I reviewed a book called Find the Dragon: The Canadian Army in Korea, 1950-1953, by Robert Hepenstall. I was incensed by one of the author's statements, that British National Servicemen (draftees) who served in Korea were "a disgrace to themselves and the British Arm)." ...
Victory! The last casualties.(SECOND WORLD WAR)
May 01, 2005; ... For General Harry Crerar's battle-weary First Canadian Army, the last few weeks of the war had been a kaleidoscope of cheering crowds and sharp encounters with the retreating Germans. At Groningen in the Netherlands, a city of 140,000, the Canadians had both at the same time. As civilians ...
Steady hearts: the battle of Coronel.(THE GREAT WAR)
May 01, 2005; ... On August 5, 1914, as Prime Minister Sir Herbert Asquith rose in the House of Commons to announce that Great Britain was at war with Germany, it was noticed that tears were streaming down Winston Churchill's face. A reaction, perhaps to the nervous strain of preparing the Royal Navy for ...
What is a veteran?(THE OLD GUARD: Veterans' news & views)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005; ... One of the more contentious issues that continues to crop up is the definition of a "veteran." With the provision of veteran licence plates by most provinces, the question has resurfaced. The designation of "war veteran" applies, justly, to those who have served in a war. (Even ...
Humanitarian? Ask Cliff.(THE OLD GUARD: Veterans' news & views)(Wilhelm Mohnke as sympathetic, humane character)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005; ... Those of you who have seen the War Amps film Take No Prisoners or read Howard Margolian's Conduct Unbecoming will recall that the commander of the Waffen SS formation that executed (read: "murdered") over 60 Canadian prisoners in Normandy was General Wilhelm Mohnke. In a new movie, he is ...
A charter for veterans.(benefits to the , Veterans Charter )(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005; ... On April 20, 2005 a proposal for a new Veterans Charter was tabled in the House of Commons by Veterans Affairs Minister Albina Guarnieri. This marks the culmination of over two years of discussions with veterans' groups and results from the paper "Honouring Canada's Commitment: ...
News from "over 'ome".(THE OLD GUARD: Veterans' news & views)(Brief Article)
May 01, 2005; ... The number of British Army infantry regiments has been reduced from 26 to 12. Although they will retain their original titles, most of them will become separate battalions of "new" regiments. The six Scottish regiments will combine to become the Royal Regiment of Scotland, while the ...
Celebrating 100 years!(THE OLD GUARD: Veterans' news & views)
May 01, 2005; ... On the weekend of June 3-5, 2005, the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment will be marking its 100th anniversary with a number of events in Thunder Bay. The unit is looking for former members to attend 100th Anniversary celebrations. The unit was raised as the 96th Lake Superior ...
Philatelists (& sailors) note.(THE OLD GUARD: Veterans' news & views)
May 01, 2005; ... Canada Post is issuing two commemorative 50-cent stamps that may interest veterans. On April 29th the "Battle of the ...
Ombudsman? Ombudsmen? Ombudspersons?(THE OLD GUARD: Veterans' news & views)(ombudsperson hunt)
May 01, 2005; ... Acting military ombudsperson Barbara Finlay has resigned. After two weeks on the job, Ms. Finlay received a letter confirming her appointment but asking that she forward "sensitive complaints" to the office of Defence Minister Bill Graham. It appears that if more than one complaint is ...
Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands, May 1945.(Book Review)
May 01, 2005; ... Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands, May 1945 by Lance Goddard, was published by the Dundurn Group in 2005. Includes 239 pages, and hundreds of b+w photographs. Softcover $29.99 CDN. ISBN 1-55002-547-3. ON MAY 5, 1945, Lieutenant General Charles Foulkes, flanked by ...
Days of Victory: Canadians Remember, 1939-1945.(Book Review)
May 01, 2005; ... Days of Victory: Canadians Remember, 1939-1945 by Ted Barris was published by Thomas Allen Publishers in April 2005, 414 pages, including b+w images, an index, and a bibliography. Hardcover $34.95 CDN. ISBN 0-88762-179-9. TWENTY YEARS ago, Ted Barris and his father Alex, a ...
Rogue Nation: The America the Rest of the World Knows.(Book Review)
May 01, 2005; ... Rogue Nation: The America the Rest of the World Knows by Peter Scowenwas published by McClelland & Stewart in 2005. Includes 311 pages. Softcover $24.99 CDN. ISBN 0-7710-8005-0. ONLY BY OCCAsionally reading a bad book can one appreciate well-argued and concisely written ones ....