Thousands of Canadians served in the Vietnam War. These researchers are looking for them
CBC
If you are a Vietnam veteran or have a family member who fought in the war, two researchers in Windsor, Ont., want to hear from you.
For their project, Be Counted, they're developing a registry of as many Canadian veterans as possible to record their information before it's too late.
"Canadians who served were never recognized and I think it's time they were," said Keith Tracy, a U.S. army veteran who lives in Windsor, Ont., and one of the researchers.
The Vietnam War began unofficially in 1955, with the height of the conflict in the late 1960s. It ended April 30, 1975, with the fall of Saigon.
Canada did not have an official part in the war but tens of thousands of Americans fled to the country to avoid the draft.
What's not as well known is thousands of Canadians enlisted with the Americans, although the exact number isn't clear.
The Canadian Vietnam Veterans Association believes as many as 20,000 enlisted, but other estimates are twice as high.
Tracy has partnered with CJ Scott, a genealogist also in Windsor who is a member of the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial Association, to help find veterans across the country as well as Canadians now living in the United States.
"We thought, you know, we can do this," said Scott.
Finding veterans hasn't been easy. A number of them have passed away. Also, some haven't come forward because of their reluctance to talk about taking part in the war.
"That has been a major problem," said Tracy.
"The Canadians came back to a country where people basically ignored or didn't know anything about the Vietnam War other than what they saw on TV. When they came back, most of them just put their uniforms in the cupboard, locked the door and forgot about it."
When the war started, Canadian James Mackay was studying in the United States to be a Franciscan monk. He ended up joining the military and was assigned to the American Special Forces.
"We weren't treated like [veterans] from World War II or World War I," said Mackay, who lives in Cape Breton, N.S. "We were called baby killers.
At a Prince Albert public library branch, the usual quiet is replaced with the sound of children laughing and lining up for autographs as Prince Albert Raiders players settle in for an evening of reading.
When a fire broke out at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market in the early hours of Christmas Day, John Bell was among the first on scene.
For the first time in 20 years, Edmonton’s police chief is a local hire.
One of the most popular hot springs in northeastern B.C. appears to be cooling off — or at the very least feeling that way — according to First Nations researchers who have been taking the temperature of the popular spot off the Alaska Highway.
No longer do the waves of Lake Timmicaca lap against car bumpers.
Municipal councils across Essex County and in Chatham-Kent and Sarnia have spent this year’s budget season trying to keep tax increases manageable while battling inflation and soaring policing costs and weighing the immediate cost of repairing aging infrastructure against the long-term cost of holding off.
Construction on Marda Loop’s main streets project may have quieted down, but redevelopment work continues at several locations along 34th Avenue. This time, the focus is on preserving the street’s history.
As both the provincial and federal governments hone in on mining opportunities in northern Ontario, supporting local industries and building safer highways are top of mind for regional leaders this year.
Tucked inside Toronto’s leafy, quiet and private residential neighbourhoods are facades that tell the story of another time in the city’s urban planning history.
Ontario’s two main opposition parties will try to turn the page on what was a difficult year, with one rebuilding after an underwhelming leadership vote result and another searching for a new person to take the party helm.
This year, two things will happen to Canada's fiscal watchdog: Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques will be replaced or made permanent, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will publish its review of the office.
As the era of bilateral bad blood between Canada and the U.S. drags on, some snowbirds are facing a choice this January: Go south to warmer climes, or boycott a country that has gone from friend to somewhat of a foe.
RCMP are warning people of slippery conditions on the Trans-Canada Highway after a transport truck slid off the road in the area of Clarenville, N.L.