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.
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This First Person column is the experience of Mehdi M. Kashani, who lives in Toronto. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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