Canadian Armed Forces

What led you to a military career?

I joined the military in 1977 at 17 years old. I was really drawn to the military after spending four years in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. The Cadets taught me many valuable life skills but more importantly, the understanding that collaborating with others, we could succeed in completing difficult tasks that could not be accomplished by individuals. I truly enjoyed the discipline and camaraderie in the Cadets, so the military was a good fit for me.

Introduction

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) John Alexander was born in Miami, Manitoba. An aerospace engineer by trade, John served with the Canadian Armed Forces for 29 years. His service took him around the world and made him proud to give back to his country.

His interest in joining the military started while he was on a youth exchange through the Lions Club in Okinawa, Japan, at 16 years old. Sitting in the seat of an F4 Phantom ignited his desire to pursue a career in the military.

For Sgt. (retired) Chuck Isaacs, service didn’t end with his retirement from a long, brave, and exhilarating military career. In many ways, it began again—with a fight to be seen, heard, and healed as an Indigenous Veteran.

Introduction

On the 80^th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day), Canadians are called to reflect on the sacrifice and endurance of those who lived through one of the lesser-known chapters of the Second World War.

Service and sacrifice

Going beyond the box

When Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Mike Nelson left the Canadian Armed Forces, he left with the drive to have an impact on the military from the private sector instead of from within the service.

"I was working on this really great project, and I was taking a little initiative that was outside my day-to-day responsibilities. My supervisor told me to get back in my box and stay in my box. It just rubbed me the wrong way."

Introduction

When Colonel Eric Andresen walked into a Montreal recruiting office at 19 years old, it was mostly to prove a point. His older brother, a cadet, had dared him to do it—and Andresen bit.

“Six months later I was in the Regular Force,” he says with a grin.

What started as a dare became a 35-year career spanning continents, conflicts and command positions—a life of military service shaped by grit, intellect and serendipity.

Donald Stewart Ethell was born in July 1937 and was raised in Victoria, BC. His father was a Veteran of both the First and Second World Wars and his mother was a nurse. He and his sister attended boarding school because of his parents' jobs and he was only home at Christmas and during the summer. His mother passed away when Mr. Ethell was 10 years old.