Introduction
David Greyeyes began his service training Canadian reinforcements in Great Britain. Two years later after officer training back in Canada, he would receive his commission and Lieutenant Greyeyes then commanded a mortar platoon in Italy.
Prior to the war, he was a grain farmer from the Muskeg Lake Cree Band in Saskatchewan. Greyeyes enlisted in June 1940 at the age of 25; two of his brothers and a sister also served.
During his six-years in the Canadian Army, David Georges Greyeyes served in seven European countries and assumed a variety of increasingly demanding military roles.
Machine gun instructor
Lt. Greyeyes was stationed in seven European countries during six years of service.
From the start, he excelled in machine-gun and rifle use, and drill instruction, and was soon selected to join the instructional staff of a machine-gun reinforcement unit.
For more than two years, Sgt. Greyeyes gave advanced weaponry training to reinforcements arriving in Great Britain from Canada. Based on his leadership skills, he was transferred to British Columbia to enter an officer's training program. Five months later, he made his second journey to Great Britain—this time as Lt. David Greyeyes.
For the next 17 months, Greyeyes served on the battlefield as a platoon commander with the Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), known by its acronym SLI(MG).
He first fought in Sicily, and along with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division continued on into mainland Italy. After that campaign, he would also see combat in North Africa, France, Belgium and finally, The Netherlands.
Italian campaign
During the Italian campaign, Lieutenant Greyeyes earned the Greek Military Cross (third class) for valour for his support of the Greek Mountain Brigade. He was one of only 14 Canadians, some of whom were members of his platoon, to ever receive this award from Greece.
In September 1944, the Greek brigade was assigned to the Canadian Division to gain battle experience just as the Allies were preparing to launch an offensive toward Rimini.
On 14 September, the brigade, supported by a machine-gun company and a mortar company from the SLI, set off on a mission to secure the right flank of the 1st Canadian Division for the attack across the Marano River.
Greyeyes headed one of four mortar platoons. Enemy fire was persistent, but the brigade managed to clear several enemy strong points, at a cost of more than 100 casualties.
A week later, after making their way through a densely-mined airfield, they occupied Rimini, raising both Greek and Canadian flags atop the town hall.
Retelling the story to author, Janice Summerby, Greyeyes noted that the road to Rimini was desolate and battered. He described this region of Italy, along its central east coast, as "a heavily settled area. Just a continuous town, really." But the inhabitants, he recalls, "had all left. They had moved to the country. There was quite a lot of destruction."
Service in Germany
When the war in Europe ended, Greyeyes volunteered to serve in the Pacific. Japan surrendered, shortly after that, and he was instead stationed with the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Germany as an intelligence officer with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
Service in Canada
After returning home, Greyeyes resumed farming and later married fellow Veteran Flora Jeanne, who had served with the RCAF Women's Division in Canada. She was one of the first Indigenous women to join the Air Force.
David worked for what was then known as the Department of Indian Affairs, becoming Director of the Maritime, Alberta and then Saskatchewan regions. He was the first First Nations member to be appointed Regional Director of Indian Affairs. For a time he was also Chief of the Muskeg Lake Band.
Superintendent's conference at Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. September 1961. L to R, James Powless, superintendent of the Christian Island Agency (Ontario); T.R. Kelly, superintendent of Lesser Slave Lake Agency (Alberta); and David Greyeyes, superintendent of Touchwood Agency (Saskatchewan). Library and Archives Canada - 5383719
Extraordinary athlete
David played hockey, softball and soccer. It was in the latter sport he excelled and was chosen three times for the Saskatchewan All-Star soccer team. As a member of that team, he played against three English clubs in 1937, 1938 and 1949.
While serving in Europe, he was a member of the Canadian Team that won the Overseas Army Championship and also played in the Inter-Allied Games in 1946.
Greyeyes was inducted into Saskatchewan's Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.