Friends After The War

Heroes Remember

Friends After The War

Funny I was looking through a book this morning that I just got from... from you people? No, I guess from the association. And I was (inaudible) through it and here's a kid I know, and I can't think of his name but there he is. I went to Florence, "Should I know this face?" and she said, "No." Well he was with the other regiment. The reason I'm telling you this is that my eyesight, I had gone through it and had been cleared. I went to the hospital, not the one in the camp because that was absolutely terrible, I can't describe it. I was at another hospital and this kid came up there and he was blind and, Ken Chestner was his name, and I told him, "Look now, you're going to be alright." I was bunking with him and on the same row sheet, row of cots, and he phoned me from Chicoutimi, Quebec, and I wasn't home and he talked to my son and he said "Look, your dad saved my life." I was telling him, mentioning my friend Ken Chestner that had, was going blind and they'd come up the same hospital that I was in, Boneroad hospital. I assured him that he was going to be alright you know it will come back. It took him quite a long time to get that way but he phoned me from Quebec and my son answered the phone, I was out of town, and he told Mike, my son, that "Your dad saved my life". And then he explained to him that he couldn't see and he was so worried about it. Interviewer: Did your son know what he was talking about? Well I guessed somewhat.

Mr. McGee describes a phone call he got from a friend recently whom went through the blindness and Mr. McGee helped him through it.

John McGee

Mr. John McGee was born in Saskatchewan, on May 3, 1923, and comes from a family of two brothers and three sisters. He now resides in Edmonton, Alberta, with his wife and family. Mr. McGee joined the army and left for wartime service with a group of thirteen men. Although very excited to be going overseas, he recalls the sight of seeing young men jumping overboard when the ship began to sail; the fear of the unknown was causing many to turn back and stay at home! Mr. McGee was determined to go and serve his country. Mr. McGee shares with us his personal experience of being captured as a Hong Kong prisoner of war (POW) and hardships he endured at the camp. He considers himself very fortunate to be alive today, as many of his friends were left behind. After six years of serving in the army, Mr. McGee returned home to be what he terms an "Entrepreneur" buying a few hotels and later on getting into the sales business. Civilian life was a very positive outcome for a soldier who had endured such hard times and poor health during his time in the prisoner of war camps.