The Fallen

A few days ago I sent a thank you email to the CO and DCO of 3VP. There was a bit of friendly back and forth and a commitment to stay in touch.

The next day, the Battalion had its first fatality on the training mission to Kabul. Master Cpl. Byron Greff was killed with 16 other NATO members by a 700KG vehicle-borne bomb.

I have steered clear of posting "news" pieces but it seems that with my closeness to the Btn. and the project existing because of the access they have been kind enough to grant me, I should want to pay a small mention to the first soldier from the battalion to die in theatre.

The very blurry place between documentation and personal investment is a topic of tangible interest to me as an artist. But the death of a husband, father and member of the Regiment is the more important reason for me as a former member of 3PPCLI. 

A list of the PPCLI fallen can be viewed here

And in summary (of Alberta and part 2)

I've been back a couple of days now and thought a short highlights list might be a spankin' way to post without having to think too hard. So, and in no particular order:

- Seeing Neil Connors for the first time in 19 years. Same dude, just older.

- Watching a double leg amputee Tank driver from the Strathconas dancing and hitting on women at the shitkicker bar we went to in Calgary

- Sunrises out on the dropzone

- The gracious hospitality and support of 3VP (Thanks especially to CO, Maj. Barry and DCO, Maj. Innis)

- Hanging out with Dan and Steve, 2 of my oldest friends (Steve beats Dan by 5 years but at our ages 5 years ain't much)

- Flying back into Toronto and descending through a Thunderstorm (I have a fear of turbulence which I am learning to manage). Then being met at the airport by Shannon with welcome home bowls of cereal.

- Getting drunk, dancing and, later, vomiting on Steve's lawn. Like Craig said after the fact, "Once a Patricia, always a Patricia."

- Mickey the Beaver

- The skid bar in Red Deer. "The Vat"??

- Having a pint at The Jr. Ranks.

In closing, a few more photos:

Jumping photos: Griffon

Too tired to think of anything salient to write.

Until my muddled and groggy mind clears, here are photos from yesterday's first day in the air.

 

Interlude

I've been away from Edmonton and 3VP for a few days now. On Thursday I hopped back on The Pooch to give a talk at The Military Museums. The talk went well (though I'm often pretty self-critical in the aftermath) and had enough interest by way of audience questions.

After that though, myself and a select few folk went to a fundraising event for PPCLI family support at some shit-kicker bar whose name eludes me. It was great to get to hang out with Patricia's past and present, but later on, things got nicely out of hand.

I haven't danced at a bar or barfed afterwards for quite some time, but the old breed got me in the old mood. Dancing by myself as well as with both dudes and ladies, shots of crappy whiskey and too many bottles of Bud might have just been the ideal coda to a talk about military memoir projects. 

The next day I sent an email to another old army buddy (we're all old now) and his response to the antics was perfect: "Once a Patricia, always a Patricia.

It's also worth mentioning that, after watching an LDSH ("Strat" for short)tanker chat up a married woman on the dance floor, it was pointed out that he was a double amputee (IED). If you watched his jean legs when he danced you could tell his legs weren't fully there. Otherwise though, he danced, he flirted, he got drunk. Once a Strat, always a Strat.
(Drinking companion, Mr. Morse is below)

* * *

Today though I'm in Red Deer. Tomorrow night I'm giving another guest lecture, this time at Red Deer College. I took a ride around town (after my run around town). Here are a few choice items of Red Deerness.

Ways of Leaving

This evening a contingent of soldiers left for Kabul. Below are some photos from that event. It was, as might be imagined, a pretty emotional evening. That was, however, cut with the administrative task of clearing the soldiers on their way. In one of the photos, a green curtain can be seen cutting mid-frame. This curtain divided the families from the troops until the clearing out was done.

All in all, it was a slightly off-kilter process that I nonetheless felt thankful to be invited to.

Early morning keener

Keener? Maybe.

This morning I slept in 2 hours later than yesterday, getting up at 4 instead of 2am so I could go for a run with the jump course. Visually, it wasn't that meaty, but it was pretty interesting to feel a bit like a knob.

"Artist goes for Run with soldiers" is something I'm pretty sure I read in The Onion.

Plus a couple of unrelated shots from yesterday.

Welcome to CFB Edmonton

Hello from CFB Edmonton.

Though my day began at 2am with a Greyhound from Red Deer, it's been a pretty straightforward day of getting to the base.

For now, here's a fairly limited post of some of the photos taken as I went out with the Jump serial candidates to the Mock Tower (where, from a limited height they learn how to jump from a moving airplane, or chopper.

But also though, I'd be pretty amiss if I didn't mention how generous the Battalion has been with me so far. Allowing me to wander around taking photos as well as (most likely) going up in Griffon Helicopters and Hercules transports is pretty awesome of them. But I was super surprised at the fancy digs they've put me up in. As I type this, Commando is playing on the flatscreen TV thanks to the selection of DVDs in my apartment.

So thanks to the CO, Maj. Kevin Barry, DCO, Maj. Quentin Innis and members of B Coy.

More to follow, but I'm pretty pooped so for now, just some photos.

Open the ramps. Get Ready.

This is a purely functional post to say:

I'm off to CFB Edmonton this Sunday for 10 days of documenting airborne trining, heavy weapons course and troop deployment to Kabul.

While in AB I'm also giving a couple of lectures, one at Red Deer College and the other at The Military Museums.

The TMM Talk features snacks and cocktails prior to my talk so if you feel inclined and are in the area, information can be found here

http://www.themilitarymuseums.ca/lecture-topics-current

Also, by the end of November I should have my first printed manifestation of this project.

Ways of Leaving, Ways of Living will be partially pulled from these blog pages but also feature related short writing. The plan right now is to premiere it at Expozine in Montreal.

http://www.expozine.ca/en/

If possible I'll add content while I'm out west. Otherwise it'll have to wait until I'm back on the 19th of October.