Adjustment Back to Civilian Life

Heroes Remember

Adjustment Back to Civilian Life

Transcript

You’re over there, if you’re a father or a husband, you’re single. You’re like a single, one of the single guys over there. You’re on your own. You’re doing your own thing and everyone back at your house is, you know, you have nothing really to do with them because they’re in their own routine and you’re in yours and when you go back you’re still not over that. Takes quite a while to adjust to go back getting in to playing with the kids, and that, and even for the single guys, people say well they’re single what do they have? Well they have girlfriends, and just seeing the country, what we witnessed. And it’s hard to come back and listen to people say stuff, like you hear them complaining everyday and that’s like I tell my friends that were never in, I said the things I’ve been exposed to and had to do, like everything else is minor in life. Like taxes, people complain about that, and it is hard and it affects guys when they come back. They’re not the same because they just can’t... people say, “Oh yeah I can only imagine, yeah.” Well you can’t because you weren’t there and it’s like one of the guys said actually that was in the section, they said, “Do you ever watch the news?’ and he just basically said, “Why, we were the news over there.” So, it’s hard for people that have never like been away and exposed, see how the other side of the world lives, the third world countries especially in the middle of a war. I don’t know if anyone is really the same after coming back and seeing total destruction and death and I don’t, I know I’ve changed in ways. I’ve actually learned to appreciate life a lot more and not take things to heart. And it was kind of hard. I’m sure it affected my kids and my ex-wife, you know, and some of us still deal with it today.

Description

Mr. Wadman explains the difficulties faced when returning home from a mission and the effect it has on themselves and their family.

Ed Wadman

Mr. Wadman was born January 5, 1967 in Cold Lake, Alberta. His father served in the air force so growing up in a military family was a big part of Mr. Wadman’s childhood. Unlike his father, Mr. Wadman decided to join the army realizing the security in life it could bring. Mr. Wadman that he was posted to Germany in 1988. He was than sent to Sarajevo for a six-month tour. As a member of 3RCR November Company Group, Operation Harmony, holding rank of Corporal, Mr. Wadman was awarded The Commander-In-Chief unit commendation award for his unique service within the besieged city of Sarajevo. Mr. Wadman’s military career also involved tours including Kuwait, Bosnia and Africa. After his retirement from the military, Mr. Wadman began teaching driving courses to military personnel.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 2:24
Person Interviewed:: Ed Wadman
War, Conflict or Mission:: Canadian Armed Forces
Location/Theatre:: Sarajevo
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Royal Canadian Regiment
Rank:: Corporal

Language selection

Adjustment Back to Civilian Life

Heroes Remember