issue15_Layout 1 8/4/2011 11:52 AM Page 1
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Local See ker The We s t
E n d Community paper
D O YO U know your LO C AL H e r o e s ?
Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 1 5 , A u g 5 , 2 0 1 1
West End soldier’s experiences taught him to value our freedoms
Of all possible careers, it’s the self-sacrificing ones – where being in harm’s way is not simply an occupational hazard but a certainty – that I respect the most. Growing up the son of a father who volunteered for the legendary Blackwatch HRH regiment during WWII, I certainly heard my share of war tales, some funny and others horrible. Of all the film genres I have gravitated toward since, it’s the war movies and incredibly realistic miniseries like Band of Brothers I watch most often. They represent real life moments of tragedy, true, but also showcase our better qualities: Respect, brotherhood, selflessness, commitment, patriotism and, yes, absolute sacrifice. So, not long after starting this paper, I contacted the Department of National Defense in Ottawa and started harassing them to locate an active soldier from the West End. Putting them on the cover would be my small way of thanking the many young men and women who put their lives on the line to ensure “freedom” is not just another random word, but actually counts for something. Two weeks ago, the call came. DND had located an NDG resident who has served with the Canadian Armed Forces overseas up to now… we had found our man. I met with 39-year old Master Warrant Officer Scott Doyle at NDG’s Café 92° last weekend and he was hard to miss when he walked in, his broad shoulders developed after 18 years in the Primary Reserves since volunteering at age 21. Why’d he do that, I was dying to know? I mean, at 21, the most ambitious pursuits of the majority of young people involve hooking up with partners and choosing which bar to hit the next weekend.
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