November 11th... Mixed Feelings

Heroes Remember

November 11th... Mixed Feelings

Transcript

Right from the very start, November 11th to me was important. And, and I attended the parade with the Camerons and everything was fine. I appreciated what was going on. But later on, it didn’t take very long, I noticed how the majority of people, the older people I would say like, like when I was working in the government for the, I was in the army working the government. They sort of didn’t think so much about the Army. About the military. And even until today they, you know they came out with a new medal, a new Canadian medal they given, they give them to children that jump over a pond or something like that. Now, what kind of decoration is that? Some of our, some of our military dismounted bombs and all kinds of dangerous work that we had to do with ammunition. And no one was ever said, “Well, here you saved the lives of a few kids that were on the range, where the grenade range is.” But you never heard anything. Of course, I didn’t want the publicity because with the FLQ they could come back. I wouldn’t even tell them anything. I didn’t want them to know where I lived. I was afraid that they would come home and hurt my family. So that, these things eventually, it was in my mind it went on and on and gradually then I didn’t go back. But I turned it on every November.

Description

Mr. Champoux explains why he has mixed feelings about Remembrance Day, but notes that it always has a special place in his heart.

Robert Arthur Champoux

Mr. Champoux was born in Hull, Québec on March 21st, 1921. He lived there until the age of 8 when his father, a First World War Veteran, moved the family to Ottawa. Mr. Champoux had three brothers and four sisters; he was the third oldest child. When the war broke out he was attending Ottawa Technical High School. He left school, after his first year, to join the Army after failing to join the Navy and the Air Force (who were not yet recruiting). He left for Europe July 17th, 1940 and ended up stopping in Iceland where he remained for the next 10 months. Mr. Champoux’s wartime service saw him fighting on D-Day and in the Falaise Gap. He also fought in Calais and later on in Holland where he was wounded. Mr. Champoux got a job with the Mint upon returning to Canada. He joined the army again in 1948 retiring in 1965.

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