In an interview with Yellowknifer, Joe Ouellette, the eldest veteran in Yellowknife, reflects on his military career as an anti-tank gunner.
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Could you please introduce yourself?
SA国际影视传媒淚 joined the military in 1954. I was in the army (until) 1965. I was stationed in Canada here, and I had done (a term) in Germany. I volunteered both (terms),SA国际影视传媒� said Ouellette. SA国际影视传媒淢y two oldest boys were born over there in Germany.
SA国际影视传媒淚 spent my (entire military career) as an anti-tank gunner.SA国际影视传媒�
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What is your story?
Ouellette said he was posted in Westphalia, a region of northwestern Germany.
SA国际影视传媒淲hile we were in Germany, the Russians were pretty nasty at that time. My wife was over there with me. They said that the wives should be taken to England and they would stay there while we confronted the Russians. They gave us three days to last (against) the Russians. That wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 that good.
SA国际影视传媒淧rior to that I had taken my paratrooper course in Shilo, Manitoba. I believe that was in 1958. (We did) our jumps around the Calgary area. I joined the PPCLI, which is the Princess PatriciaSA国际影视传媒檚 Canadian Light Infantry, and I did a term with The QueenSA国际影视传媒檚 Own Rifles of Canada also.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was an anti-tank gunner. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 (how) I lost my hearing, firing those anti-tank guns. They were so loud. Sometimes our noses would bleed from the blast, and we had no hearing protection at that time. We would tell (those in charge that) our ears were ringing, and they said, SA国际影视传媒榃ell donSA国际影视传媒檛 worry about it. Only lasts a few minutes and then then itSA国际影视传媒檒l go away.SA国际影视传媒� It has done a lot of damage.
SA国际影视传媒淭hose were 24-pound rounds (we were firing). (The gun) was called a recoilless rifle. It was quite large. You could put a dime on the barrel, and when you fired it, that dime would still be there. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 how stable that was. The back blast and the front blast were equal. Once, we put an apple box 20 feet behind (the gun), and when that thing went off, it was smashed from just the back blast. SA国际影视传媒�
(For practice,) we fired our guns at the Baltic Sea thatSA国际影视传媒檚 just by Russian border. From there we fired at our targets which were old tanks that were killed in the First World War that were ruinedSA国际影视传媒� It was interesting. That was my journey as a soldier.
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What did you do before and after your service?
SA国际影视传媒淎fter the war, my dad was a carpenter. (When I left the military), I went in with him doing carpentry work. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 basically what I had done. Before the war, I think I was a paper carrier. I had to get my dad to sign to allow me to join (the army). I was 17 (when I enlisted).SA国际影视传媒�
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Were you given a reason why you were needed in Germany?
SA国际影视传媒淎ll that we were told was that we were there as a defence army. (I think itSA国际影视传媒檚) because thatSA国际影视传媒檚 where the Russians would probably hit first, Germany. We were also told that we may not have much time. They warned us that notice would be very, very (short). We had to be ready at all times.
SA国际影视传媒淭he Germans were happy to see us and were always apologizing for some reason. If you walked into a bar with German soldiers there, they would all snap to attention when we walked in. There was still that thought about what happened with Germany (in the Second World War). They still had that on their mind. They were feeling guilty about it, it seemed.
SA国际影视传媒�(In my second term) I was married. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 when we had our two boys that were born in Germany. They picked up very fast, those little ones. They understood German better than I could after a while because all the German women would come and get them to talk to them.SA国际影视传媒�
Ouellette then shared an anecdote about his father.
SA国际影视传媒淥ne time my dad, when he was in Germany, he was going to the bathroomSA国际影视传媒� He opened the door and there were two Germans in there. He took them captured.SA国际影视传媒�
Do you have any other stories you would like to share?
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e done a lot of parachuting. I always wanted to be a paratrooper. We first jumped out (equipped with) the T-7 parachute. The thing we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 like about that is that the risers came out first, and then the chute. It snapped at you like a belt. They taught us to put our heads down because the big buckles would hit the back of your head. We had those for two or three years before they brought in what they called a T-10. All you felt (with the T-10) was your harness tightening. It just was just beautiful. It was just like going down a slide.SA国际影视传媒�
Ouellette wants people to know, SA国际影视传媒渙ur family did our part for Canada.SA国际影视传媒�
