Reply With QuoteMy father was one of them. Served as an air traffic controller attached to the 101st.
Canadians in the US military
Found this really good site:
http://www.talkingproud.us/page9/page67/NorthWall.html
Talking Proud Archives --- Military
The North Wall, Canada's Vietnam Veterans War Memorial
A significant number of Canadians fought for US forces in Vietnam, and over 100 gave their lives, even though Canada as a nation did not participate. These men joined the American military, either voluntarily or through the draft, and they fought with great valor and distinction, as Canadian military men always have. It took far longer for the Government of Canada to recognize their service and sacrifice than it did the US government, and it is arguable to this day how many Canadians respect what they did. This is about a memorial finally erected in Windsor, Ontario in 1995 to honor their service. More important, this is about some of those Canadians who fought in Vietnam, our salute to brothers in war.
By Ed Marek, editor
My father was one of them. Served as an air traffic controller attached to the 101st.
I salute them, and I respect the courage it must have taken back then just to sign up.
Nice. Thanks for the Topic.
Funny, as coward Americans ran to Canada, Brave men came south.
That might be over- simplifying the situation just a smidge.Originally Posted by BRAVO JULIET
Peter Lemon is a beast.
William Cooke
This fellow is buried in Hamilton Ont.
Died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
http://stiffsandstones.blogspot.com/...g-horn-29.html
We had a Canadian in our platoon. He was in the machine gun section. Canadians are great.
Why would anyone in Canada go to the US in order to join the US military? Adventure?
The Canadians have and used to have Army & Airforce +a Navy themselves.
The Canadian armed forces seem to be aqually if (sorry all the yankees here) not more professional than their American counterparts!
+The Canadians have cooler looking parade uniforms.
It was not mentioned to be an insult to the US forces or anything.. Just my late night thaughts.
But of course in the US military they do not have the wierd brittish drill movements... At least something!
Anyway.. Hats of for those who have served! Too many sacrificed all to much... RIP!
More opportunity and perhaps more money.
Remember in the '60s the Canadian forces were not involved in any conflicts while the US was busy in Vietnam- wartime militaries often have better recruitment. Also unification, downsizing and fairly low pay all contributed to morale and recruitment problems in the Canadian forces at the time. Luckily things have improved for the Canadians since then.
Ok, but was it such a big difference in pay between the two armies?
And quite a few of those canadians would probably have served in the infantry I guess..
I still belive that "adventure" could be a part of the answer though
Ok, It is hard from the other side of the Atlantic to get good info on the internal situation in Canada in the sixties.
But it sounds like an explanation...
The Canadian army today seem to be very professional in many ways. It seem to be like a perfect mix between the brittish & american military systems & cultures or something.. But I wouldn´t know!
A big part. I would think that the number of Canadians joining the US forces would have dropped off dramatically after the withdrawal from Vietnam. If you read the initial post some were also Canadians living in the US who were drafted or enlisted there i.e. they didn't goto the US specifically to join the military.
On the other side Americans joined up in Canada in 1940/41 when the US was still neutral in WW2. They numbered about 18 000 in the Cdn Army and 9000 in the RCAF, don't have figures for the RCN. Many transferred to the US forces after Pearl Harbour but from what I have roughly half in fact completed their wartime service with the Canadians.
Last edited by baboon6; 09-20-2010 at 06:46 PM.
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