A New Feeling After Returning Home

To me, I was the same man. I came home, I wanted to be with my family but my wife said that certain things, my way of thinking has changed, my way of acting around... At the beginning it was crazy. I mean, we had a vehicle on the outside had a flat tire or something, just a big noise, a big boom and it scared me, it scared me. If people were...I remember when the first week, I think I was home I went out to a shopping centre with my wife and I didn't feel secure in there and I said, “What's wrong?” I don't like people staring at me. I don't know why, I just don't feel comfortable so I, “let's go home.” I was always wondering why the soldiers came back to war, didn't want to talk about it. Now I know why.

Mr. Desmeules shares his personal experiences when returning home to his family.

Mike Desmeules

Mr. Desmeules was born in 1950 in Jean Pierre, Quebec. With little work in his hometown community, Mr. Desmeules decided to join the armed forces, considering it as an opportunity to travel. At 18 years of age Mr. Desmeules initially joined the Navy taking up the service occupation of administrative clerk. With this occupation being very generic to all branches of service, Mr. Desmeules later joined with the army and in 1975 accepted an opportunity to travel to Egypt with the Signal Regiment. In 1995, Mr. Desmeules accepted a posting to Rwanda, again in the administrative field of occupation. Upon return to Canada, Mr. Desmeules made the switch back to navy service and retired when 30 years of service was achieved. Mr. Desmeules and his family took up residence in Prince Edward Island, Canada.