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Canadian's in Vietnam

© Carl Johnson

This subject brings back memories. War, the smell of rotting foliage, the sound of incoming rockets and mortars, the rattle of small arms fire, the screams of the wounded and dying, the heat, the rain, the boom of the outgoing artillery and the acrid smell of cordite. These I remember as a nineteen year old soldier serving in Vietnam in 1969. At that time and for a long time after, I had not known that Canada had soldiers that volunteered to serve, or were drafted, to fight, and to die in Vietnam. I remember talking to Australian's, and Korean's, and Thia's, and Cambodian's, but no Canadian's. I also remember many US citizens flocking to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam.

As I researched this article I found that many Canadian's are also ignorant of this fact. The treatment I received as a veteran of that conflict was nothing compared to what I found was the treatment of the Canadian veterans. Canadian veterans are unable to join the ranks of the Royal Canadian Legion: from the Vietnam Magazine (Perspectives) By Fred Graffen

Even worse than the treatment of Canadian Vietnam veterans was that accorded to many of the families whose husbands or sons were killed in Vietnam. Defenseless as a result of immediate grief, some were verbally assaulted by anti-war activists. Neighbors and friends were unsympathetic. There are families whose sons survived the war, but were damaged physically, mentally and emotionally by their service.

The isolation of Vietnam veterans is much greater in Canada than in the United States. Remembrance Day on November 11, (Canada's version of Veterans Day) is only for those killed in the service of Canada. The Royal Canadian Legion excludes Vietnam veterans from participating in its national observances.

Why would Canadian's volunteer to serve in Vietnam? Some for adventure, some because they felt they owed the US for money or education they received while in the US, some from boredom, some to hone the skills the military provides while fighting a war (such as radio communications, helicopter repair, road and bridge building and repair, etc.). The exact number that served and died is like in any war, not possible to determine, and many numbers are bandied about the media in the range of 30,000 to 50,000. One person who has done a lot of research on this subject and has a website stating his facts is, Richard Shand he states in his opening paragraphs that: "From 1986 to 1987 I handled public relations for Canada's largest Vietnam veterans organization, Vietnam Veterans in Canada (VVIC).

The copyright of the article Canadian's in Vietnam in Canada's Military is owned by Carl Johnson. Permission to republish Canadian's in Vietnam in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.