Courage and Patriotism

Heroes Remember

Courage and Patriotism

Transcript

It's, it's a, it's, it's a very... courage is a very, very difficult thing. I think the first thing you have to do is look at everybody and anybody who served. And we're all different. We're all different, and when I came down on the parachutes, everything was quite routine. I don't know whether it was stupidity on my part, or what it was, but I, I felt quite in control. And yet I've seen people who go, who went to pieces.Went to pieces when things went wrong. There were those who . . . and, and then there were those who picked up the pieces and brought them back together again. So, it's, it's very difficult to look at a person, or people, and know or say that they are courageous or they weren't. They were there, and that's enough. I think if you live in an environment, in order to make that environment work for you and for those around you, you have to be patriotic. Unfortunately, in many, many instances, patriotism is formed from lack of knowledge. That is, that's, an unfortunate part. Patriotism, very often, is a zeal, and it, and it's, and it's, and it's usually, it's very often a lack of knowledge of the real thing. If you knew the real thing you'd probably wouldn't be as patriotic. But patriotism is necessary in an environment to keep a, a unit together. It's the same as, as, as a, as a, a, a group that's fighting, bonding. When you bond, you're patriotic to one another. If you live in a country, you're patriotic to that country. If you know the truth, the real truth, your patriotism wanes, it wanes. So you have to, you have to weigh one against the other. You have to weigh them both, you have to, you have to be very careful with patriotism, I think. I think it's necessary, but it's gotta be truly patriotism. The right kind.

Description

Mr. Pochailo reflects on the diversity of courage and patriotism

Philip Pochailo

Philip Pochailo was born in Rainy River, Ontario, on November 19, 1920. After finishing his education, he worked several years in lumber camps, and finally enlisted in the RCAF in 1942. He went overseas in 1943. After advanced training as a bomb aimer in Great Britain, he was assigned to a British crew in No.1 Bomber Command in April 1944. His aircraft was shot down over the Netherlands and only he and the aircraft's pilot survived. Mr. Pochailo evaded capture and joined the Dutch Resistance Movement where he lived and worked for the next 12 months. He was liberated by Canadian troops in Rotterdam in 1945. Mr. Pochailo returned to Canada after the war and now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.

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