Posted on 08/27/2006 4:54:16 AM PDT by Clive
According to German documents in World War I, Canadian soldiers were considered among the most savage of the Allied armies. Robert Graves, in his classic memoir of that war, Goodbye to All That, also remarks on this quality.
Vimy Ridge in 1917 was the first decisive Allied victory in that war, and by war's end the Canadian Corps was arguably the best on the Western Front.
In WWII, Canadians upheld their reputation, and battles like Ortona in Italy proved Canadians a match for elite German paratroops; the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in Northwest Europe saw more action than any other Canadian unit as it fought its way to the Baltic Sea to meet the Russians.
In Korea, 1951, 2nd Battalion Princess Pats fought one of the great defensive battles of history by destroying the Chinese thrust toward Seoul, inflicting huge casualties, and losing only 10 killed. At the same time, in similar circumstances, Britain's Gloucester Regiment was wiped out.
After Korea, beginning in 1956 in Gaza, "peacekeeping" became the hallmark of the Canadian army -- until we joined the present war against terrorism in Afghanistan. True, Somalia in 1993 was a UN Chapter 7 "fighting" mission, but the expected fighting never occurred.
Although the country hasn't really noticed it, our military has abandoned traditional peacekeeping and returned to more active soldiering, now fighting an unorthodox war against an able and elusive enemy in Afghanistan.
CREDIT RICK HILLIER
Credit (or blame) for this change in direction can be attributed to General Rick Hillier, who has forced (or persuaded) the government to let the military play a more proactive role.
Many Canadians don't realize how significant the changes are, though predictable sources fret as casualties increase. Every headline about a soldier creates the impression that casualties are horrendous, when in fact they are relatively modest.
The bottom line is that peacekeeping is passe. For now.
For a sense of the competence and effectiveness of our soldiers in the field, here's an account by American photojournalist Scott Kesterton, a former Oregon National Guardsman (1983-1991) who spent a year embedded with troops in Afghanistan and was attached to 2 platoon of "A" Company of the Princess Pats during a 14-day operation that included eight attacks on -- or from -- Taliban and al-Qaida fighters.
As reported by koreavetnews.com, Kesterton wrote:
"What has resulted is a bonding of U.S. and Canadian forces never before seen. They are not just our neighbour to the north; they have proven themselves to be fighters and soldiers worthy of the highest honours that the U.S. Army offers its own...
"On our first morning of being attacked, I found myself holding back tears as I filmed Canadians fighting a fight that began on American soil on Sept. 11, 2001. In interviews that followed, I discovered the depth of commitment that these soldiers held in their hearts, as they expressed their belief in purpose and shared their emotions, at times with tears. Two countries, each proud of their roots and history, unified across the border that distinguishes each of us ...
"From patrols to attacks, and an operational tempo that pushed us all to the point of exhaustion, and even the loss of one of my cameras following a fire fight, the Canadian soldiers and I became close friends, bridging into that place that only soldiers know... a band of brothers."
Kesterton continues: "In the last engagement working with the Canadian soldiers, we were ambushed in a small village. As three of us were making our way toward the enemy, a Canadian squad leader appeared at our right flank, killing a Taliban soldier who was poised to shoot us. The Canadian saved not only the lives of two of his fellow soldiers, but the life of this American photojournalist."
A few days later Kesterton asked Canadian soldiers how they felt about this war. The answers were virtually unanimous:
"It's time that someone else steps up. The United States shouldn't have to carry the fight alone. We may be Canadians, but the attack was an attack on our common values and beliefs -- 9/11 was an attack on all of us."
It would seem that the legacy established in WWI continues in the Canadian army today.
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I never knew this. Thanks for the article.
Bless them for joining in this battle.
Also, the year before, the Canadians experienced the disaster of Dieppe in which valuable lessons were learned that contributed to the success of D Day.
But remember that the Yanks had Bloody Omaha.
The Aussies might have a bone or two to pick with this analysis.
But please amplify your comment.
Yep. Canadians were the only Allied force that day to reach all of their objectives, too. ;)
At Kapyong, the Canadians called down fire on their own position to hold off the Chinese assault.
Bump
It had to be done. The Chinese were that close and the job was a rear-guard action.
The United States awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (then called the Distinguished Unit Citation) for Kapyong to the following units:
3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment
2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
United States 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion
Another hit by Worthington. Good article.
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