I Don’t Consider I was Very Patriotic

I used to go on parade every Remembrance Day when I was in the militia. I used to march to the, and I’d do a lot of thinking, and I’d have some tears sometimes on Remembrance Day, thinking about guys that were killed. But, recent years, getting old, I have a hernia and I have chronic bronchitis and I have quite a bit of depression by times. I don’t bother much for Remembrance Day these days. I can remember without Remembrance Day.

I don’t consider I was very patriotic, and, but I did try to do my duty, and once you get in the service I might advise them to do the best they could and do their duty, but I wouldn’t attempt to advise them about patriotism, or being patriotic.

Well, as I say, I was a little concerned and a little shocked that Canada even went into World War II. They didn’t go into it until about a week after Britain went in - I think it was around the tenth of September, Britain went in the third or something - and they just simply, as I understand it, went in to help Britain and support the mother country. To me that’s bull. We were only about, what 11 or 12 million in those days? And now we’re 30 odd million. Quite different. We’re not a colony anymore and if Britain became involved in a war today, they did send troops down to Iraq. Our government didn’t rally to support them like they did in 1939. So that’s the way I look at it. The brass, Mackenzie King and, he was supposed to be a bit off anyway, but he was Prime Minister at the time, and I don’t think they should have got into World War II. They could have stayed out of it, I think, if the brass had of decided. The States didn’t get in until December ‘41 after the Japs bombed them and then the Jerries sunk one of their ships and they got into it against Germany but they stayed out of it a couple of years. So, if I had a bunch of young fellas, that’s what I would try to advise them, to do their duty the best they could, but I’d steer clear of patriotic bull, I call it.