Enlisting

Well I remember, what I can remember of it in that, in those years,... the news that was coming out, I think fifty to sixty percent of the people didn't realize what it entailed, what was happening. I think the tendency at that time was: let's keep out of it. Do not get involved. I wanted to be part of what I felt was trying to knock some sense into other people that were in for a long haul. When I decided to go in, I was in highschool then, almost finished and I walked in and I says, "I want to join the army." That was at Plaza Vejay(sp) Station, I don't know if you know it. And he says, "What regiment do you want to go to? " I said, "Nothing infantry." He says "You want the air force? " And I decided, "No, that's too dangerous." So he says, "Well the only thing I have is a French regiment, which is the regiment Trois-Rivières. It's a tank regiment." I said "That's for me." And I enlisted in the Three-River tank regiment.

Well I was the black sheep of the family. They knew me as an individual, and my personality, that when I decided here's something I would do it, and nothing would change my mind. My father never said a word. My mother turned around and saw me come back in uniform, turned around and said "I'll give you two weeks and you're out of it." But unfortunately it lasted until 1945!