Briefing the Generals

Heroes Remember

Briefing the Generals

Transcript

I was given the job of going to brief all these generals on the weather and I thought, well boy, I better be fast and clickety, clickety click. So they’ll know that here’s a guy who knows his stuff and no nonsense. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Because I was invited, my boss, the Senior Meteorological Officer was invited not to have me do any more of these forecasts. It was quite embarrassing. We were able to figure out why. If I just slowed it down and became less apparently efficient it would be a big improvement and it just happened once. But it was quite embarrassing to have my own generals saying I, the only Canadian in that office, they didn’t want him anymore.

Description

Mr. Aitken describes being “too efficient” and how his detailed information would only confuse his generals.

John Aitken

John Aitken was born June 4, 1917, in Kenora, Ontario. He was the eldest of three children. His family moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta, where his father worked as a flour miller. After graduating high school at age seventeen, Mr. Aitken became a teacher and then school principal. He graduated from university in 1942. Mr. Aitken initially enlisted in the artillery, but after his arrival in England was selected to train as a meteorologist. As the war progressed he achieved the highest level possible, Independent Forecaster. After the war, Mr. Aitken continued a distinguished military career, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant.

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