Realistic Training

Heroes Remember

Realistic Training

Transcript

I remember in the winter, when we were out in trenches, and it was about 30 below with a wind and I was on sentry and I would say to myself what the hell am I doing here and we're playing games out here in this 30 below or when it rained for two or three days and we were out in the field. Part of my training was a survival trip. We went from North Bay to Petawawa, along the Petawawa River in rubber rafts and we tipped ‘em a couple of times. This was in November, so and we didn't stop, we just shivered until we got dry, but it was very cold. I remember that water being very cold when we hit it. Survival training - you had nothing to eat you had to find your own and we were up in the area of North Bay. We were fortunate because a porcupine came around and was licking on my rifle butt because of the salt, the four of us ate off that porcupine for about four days and we caught a couple of rabbits and we found a crab apple tree in the middle of the woods so we were okay. But I saw some of my comrades just passing out from lack of... they had no food. So it was realistic training, you foraged, you found what you could and, you know, that was it. So it taught us how to be self reliant I guess you'd say, in the middle of the woods.

Description

Mr. Leavey describes his outdoor training and how the soldiers learned to be self reliant.

Bill Leavey

Mr. Bill Leavey was born in Belleville, Ontario in 1948. He was the second oldest of 8 children. After obtaining his education, Mr. Leavey was very anxious to find employment and had a great sense of adventure for the Canadian Forces. He was very involved in sports and hunting and felt the army would be a good fit. After joining, Mr. Leavey received his basic training in Camp Borden, Ontario and became part of the Black Watch Regiment - a regiment he holds great respect for. As well as service in Canada, Mr. Leavey travelled to Germany and continued training for combat with greater focus on exercise and weapons training. In 1997, a highlight of Mr. Leavey’s career was when he joined the team in the recovery of the C-47 in Burma. After his retirement from the military, Mr. Leavey joined Veterans Affairs Canada and presently works with the Occupational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) network assisting military personnel and families after discharge from the forces. Mr. Leavey and his family reside in Belleville, Ontario.

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