Sorel, QC, Canada
Danielle Boudreau
Current Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
My UN tour in the Canadian Contingent, United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (CCUNDOF), the Golan Heights, was from December 1987 to June 1988, the year that all UN Peacekeepers were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize!
The day we did our pre-deployment training in Montréal, we all lined up for our vaccinations. Some of us couldn’t sit down for hours. When we arrived at Golan Heights, we were rushed out of the bus and formed up outside, where we were introduced to the Adjutant and the Commanding Officer. From then on, we were the new PINKIES. As the Senior PERI, I was also asked to be the President of the Mess Committee (PMC) of the Junior Ranks Club. As part of the PMC’s job, I was to ensure that we had proper stock and to be involved with organizing evening entertainment which could include poker night, bingo night, and other activities. One of the very popular entertainments was the PINKIES night, where the departing group gets all dressed up in local attire to welcome their replacements.
Other than the regular fitness classes and PT tests, monitoring all clubs’ activities in Camp was on my plate. Since the swimming pool was closed for repairs, it freed up some of my time to organize ball hockey games and other after-hours activities. The Sailing Club was not active, so the sailing boats were not in very good shape and scheduled for write-off, but a new club was formed, the computer club. We had a couple of Apple computers which were very popular with everyone. People used them to do Certificates of Appreciation, posters, and many other computer activities. Two of the other very popular activities were floor hockey and softball.
One very busy club was our Scuba Diving Club, and we took many diving trips to Eilat. We had a previous arrangement with a local building owner for us to stay in an apartment when we went there for diving. I remember very well during one of our dives, there was a huge rock that was named MOSES ROCK. This was a bright Red gigantic rock and when you got close to it, the rock seemed to be moving, but as we got closer to it, we realized it was covered with small red fish which gave it that bright red colour. My UN tour was an experience that I will never forget.
Biography
Born in Sorel, QC, I joined the Royal Canadian Navy in Oct 1973 and drove to Base de forces Canadienne (BFC) St-Jean for my Basic training, thus starting my Military Career. I retired in 1993 at the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class, after 20 years of loyal and dedicated service to Canada and the Queen
My posting history included CFB St-Jean; CF Leadership School St-Jean; CF Fleet School (CFFS) Halifax; HMCS Assiniboine; NATO Deployment; CFFS Esquimalt; HMCS Restigouche; HMCS Okanagan (submarine); HMCS Ojibwa (submarine); CFB Halifax; HMCS Preserver; CFB Greenwood; CCUNDOF (Golan Heights) as Senior Physical Education and Recreation Instructor (PERI), where I received a Commanding Officer’s Commendation; CFS Shelburne; CFB Cornwallis. When I retired from the Regular Force at CFB Cornwallis, I transferred to the Supplementary Ready Reserve.
I was awarded the following medals: The Special Service Medal (SSM) with NATO bar, the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal (CPSM), the United Nations medal for service in UNDOF, the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD), and the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires Long Service medal (two bars), and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.
SCUBA Diving in Eilat.
In December that year, the padre arranged for us to host an orphanage for a Christmas Dinner, and they honoured us with a dance. This was a very nice evening arranged by the padre.