Page A12 Friday, July 21, 2023
Chilliwack Progress
www.theprogress.com
Chilliwack’s Mike Boughner learning carpentry during his two-year stint with the Sappers Apprentices, aka A yearbook entry for Chilliwack’s Mike Boughner from his time with the Sappers Apprentices, aka the Little the Little Green Monsters. (submitted photo) Green Monsters. (submitted photo) Eric Welsh The Progress
In 1996, the Little Green Monsters held what they thought was going to be their final reunion. With CFB Chilliwack closing, the Sapper Apprentices thought it was the end of the road. Then they kept on having reunions for another 26 years. But now, it appears the group has really reached their swan song. When they gather Sept. 8 to 10 at the Coast Hotel in downtown Chilliwack, the 70th reunion will be their last. “It was supposed to be the last one in 1997, and why we carried on for another quarter century, I don’t know,” reunion chair Mike Boughner said with a smile. “It’s been good, don’t get me wrong, but we’re getting damn old to keep doing this.” The Sapper Apprentices started in 1953. Boughner was in the 12th intake, in 1965. He’s 76 years old and wife Joanne lovingly calls him “one of the babies.” Mike was one of dozens of 16-year-old boys from across Canada that came to Chilliwack for a two-year program that blended high school studies with military training. From 1953 to 1967 there were 14 intakes for the group that came to be known as the Little Green Monsters. It was tough going for the kids. Many came from the other side of the country, and didn’t graduate due to homesickness. “In my senior year I had a good friend from Winnipeg who sold me his car,” Mike said. “But before I could pay him he decided he’d had enough of this and went home. The car made it as far as Calgary, but he made it all the way back to Winnipeg and got
Little Green Monsters gather one last time Grads of the Sappers Apprentice program that ran 1953-67 have a final reunion coming up in September out.” He found a compelling reason to stay when he met and married Joanne. After taking mandatory field engineer training in year one, Mike studied carpentry in year two and spent his entire working life in that trade. The Little Green Monsters actually signed a contract for five years (two years schooling followed by a threeyear enlistment) with an option to extend it to seven. Mike stuck around for 33 and a third, rising to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer. His career took him as far afield as Egypt and Russia. For years afterwards, he ran into Little Green Monsters at various postings. When the reunions started happening, fellows he hadn’t seen in decades showed up, and it was like no time had passed. “You’ve got to picture a bunch of 75, 80, 85-year-old guys and all they can talk about is when they were 16,” Joanne added. “It’s just the memories.” “We enjoy ourselves, sometimes a little too much,” Mike said with a chuckle. “But it’s a real good chance to get back in touch
Mike Boughner, 76, is chairing the 70th reunion of the Sappers Apprentices, aka the Little Green Monsters. (Eric J. Welsh/ The Progress)
with people you haven’t seen in a Mike said losing the reunions while. It feels like we’re 16 again will mean losing camaraderie and no time has passed. But when with the guys who come in from we try to act like 16-year-olds it elsewhere. doesn’t quite work.” “When we finally sat down this
year and decided to go ahead with this reunion on such and such a date, and how the word got out we don’t know, but days later we got a phone call from a guy in Quebec,” Mike said. “He was from the eighth intake and he said, ‘I hear there’s going to be a reunion. I’ve already got my plane reservations made.’ “The Coast Hotel reserved 10 rooms for us and supposedly eight are already gone and they’re setting aside another five. That means it’s going to be a success.” Mike’s hoping to get around 120 Little Green Monsters at the reunion. The event will feature the tradition of the men doing a parade around the hotel in their various intakes. Beyond that, Mike said it will be very basic. “Just bringing us all together to talk about the good times and then we all go home,” he said. “But it’ll be special to us.”