FRIDAY
S I N C E
NOVEMBER 9, 2012
1 8 9 5
Vol. 117, Issue 212
110
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Amazing race for Rossland triathlete Page 13
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
A SOLDIER’S STORY
Remembering those who died and those who survived BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
When millions of Canadians pause on Remembrance Day, Steve Mears will have more to reflect on than most. “The first thing I think of is several of my friends who died in Afghanistan,” said Mears, who retired in 2006 after almost three decades in the Canadian Armed Forces. “It’s very personal, and not just the people killed in war, but also killed in training accidents and those types of things.” Mears always knew that he was going to have a military career, after joining the air cadets at the age of 13. “Growing up I was always taught in school the First World War, Second World War, Korea. After I joined the military it became more personal.” In 1978, one week after graduation from his Richmond high school, Mears left for boot camp in Cornwall N.S. “The first few days were pretty overwhelming, it was still the old school back then, male dominated and we were treated pretty harshly.” After 16 weeks of basic training, Mears flew to Chilliwack for three months of basic trades training. This led to many years spent as a combat engineer. His career began during the time of the Cold War, when the army was not in overseas deployment except for peacekeeping in Cyprus and the Golan Heights. SHERI REGNIER PHOTO His trade was not sent; instead Mears continued his training on Retired veteran Steve Mears will be among many pausing to reflect at the Cenotaph in downtown Trail on Remembrance Day. North American soil. “We trained as though we may have to fight the Russians. We refugees how to identify and remove His job was to set up the demiliwould go on huge mine field exer- land mines and unexploded units. tarized zone between the Iraq and cises in Alberta and lay miles and “The view was for them to be Kuwait border. His regiment spent miles of land fields,” he said. able to go back home and clear six months building observation “This was all with the view that their farm land of mines, so they posts along the country’s borders. we may have to fight the Russians.” could get back to work and life,” “It was very austere. Kuwait City Mears first toured Peshawar said Mears. had been completely ransacked.” Pakistan, on a four month humani“Now, I think a lot of them are “Every day I had to drive through tarian mission. In 1990, after Taliban. They are using their skills the highway to hell. An area where the Russians had been run out of to blow up our own guys.” so many vehicles had been blown Afghanistan, there were thousands In 1991, almost a year to date up as Iraqis tried to escape back upon thousands of Afghan refu- after this tour, Mears and 600 mem- over their border.” gees in the Pakistan-Afghan border bers of his regiment were deployed Mears spent most of his time out camps. from Chilliwack to Kuwait, seven in the desert clearing roads of land Under the umbrella of the United days after ceasefire of the first mines and unexploded ordnance. MP ad 1_2_J5a_Layout 12-06-07 8:04 AM Persian Page 1 Gulf War. Nations, Mears was1 sent to teach His regiment escorted contract
vehicles, such as cement trucks, safely to the points where the desert posts were being built. Mears felt his years of land mine training prepared him for this job, however the human cost of war, was more difficult to deal with. “Little kids just across the border in Iraq would swarm the vehicles for food, even try to open the doors as we drove up. We had to throw rations out as we went because we were afraid that one of them would end up under our vehicle. They were so starving it broke my heart.” Mears next deployment to Croatia was also an eye opening and shattering experience. “How people could live next door to each other for decades, be neighbours for years, then all of a sudden one day walk next door, tie up a husband, rape his daughter and wife, then shoot the husband.” Mears reflected that this happened all over the war torn country. “It wasn’t just one side, it was both.” During this tour, Mears was flown all over the former Yugoslavia to teach mine awareness. “Mines were all over the place,” he said. It was a very emotional time for him, as there were incidents when his plane came under fire. “The plane would nose dive to dodge artillery fire from the Serbians who were shelling the runway. “It would drop us off, we would run to the bunker and the plane would take right off again. “It was emotional.” After this experience, Mears caught a bit of a break back at the regiment on garrison duty. During this time he married, and became father to a daughter and son. His family time was short lived, as Mears was often sent away to train and instruct others about mine warfare demolitions. When his daughter was six months old, Mears was sent to Cambodia for nine months. He was seconded as a technical adviser for the Cambodian mine action centre, under the department of defence, as part of the United Nations. See TODAY’S, Page 3
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Honour our veterans
Remembrance Day schedules: Trail - 10:30 a.m. the parade from the Fortis Building to the Cenotaph. - 10:45 a.m. singing of O Canada. WWII veteran May Batch and JL Crowe student Emily Dawson will be reading the honor roll names. - 11 a.m. the Last Post followed by two minutes of silence. - 1 p.m. refreshments at the Legion. ***** Fruitvale - 10:45 a.m. with honour guard and “O Canada” led by Tracy Johnston. Stephen Piccolo, retired warrant officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, will read honour roll. Laying of the wreaths will be followed by Clara and Julia Halbert reading “In Flanders Field.” After service hot chocolate and cookies served by the Girl Guides. ***** Rossland - 10 a.m. service held at the Royal Canadian Legion hall followed by a march to the Cenotaph at 10:45. - 11 a.m. ceremony and laying of wreaths. - 1 p.m. activities shift back to the Legion hall including music by the Trail Pipe Band and the Golden City Fiddlers.
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