Volume 6 - Legion BC/Yukon Command Website

British ColumBia / Yukon CommandHendrickson, Gerald Martin (Gerry)Gerry was born in Carlin, BC on August 15, 1924. He enlisted in the RoyalCanadian Air Force in Vancouver, BC on April 26, 1943 and trained in Calgary,AB, graduating as a Leading Aircraftman. In 1944, Gerry was sent to Englandand after the war, returned to Canada. He was awarded the Defence Medal, the1939-1945 Star and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp. Gerryworked for several years as a sawyer and carpenter in the Chase and Salmon Armareas of BC before rejoining the Royal Canadian Air Force on November 2, 1953as an airframe technician. He served in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Zweibrucken,Germany from 1960-1962, and Trenton, Ontario. Gerry was promoted toCorporal while in Saskatchewan in 1958. He was awarded the General ServiceMedal for his contribution towards the invention of a significant leading edgepart used in aircraft technology by the RCAF. Gerry was a member of LegionBranch #107 in Chase, BC and died in Kamloops, BC on December 26, 1991.Hendrickson, Harvey John LeonardHarvey was born in Salmon Arm, BC on January 17, 1923. After hisschooling, he took auto mechanics courses and in 1948, worked in NorthBend, BC as a mechanic and in Chase, BC as a truck driver. He worked inSalmon Arm, BC as a mechanic until October 1953 then joined the RoyalCanadian Air Force in Vernon, BC. He went on to Vancouver, enrolled in theregular air force on November 2, 1953, was stationed in Quebec as a mobileequipment technician, served in Edmonton from 1954 to 1956 and wasdischarged in November 1956 as a Leading Aircraftman. During the 1960sand 1970s, Harvey was a welder at Newnes Machine Ltd. in Salmon Armand did welding and mechanics jobs in the Caribou, Horse Lake, andShuswap-Sorrento areas of BC. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, bowling, andauto car racing and was a talented accordion player. Harvey was a memberof Legion Branch #107 in Chase, BC where he died on February 16, 1982.Hendrickson, Melvin Lawrence (Mel)Mel was born in Carlin, BC on October 22, 1929. He worked in the loggingindustry around Shuswap, BC until he enlisted in the Navy in Vancouver, BC inFebruary 1949. He trained at HMCS Discovery and was posted to several HMCSships: the Naden, Athabaskan, Rockcliffe, and Beacon Hill. Mel left the Navy inApril 1950 and worked as a truck driver in the Salmon Arm area, at a sawmill inTappen, BC and for the BC Forest Service in Vernon. Mel enlisted in the RCAFin Vancouver as a metals technician and was posted to St. Johns, QC; Trenton,ON; and to Rabat, Morocco and Zweibrücken, Germany in 1954. Back inCanada by 1956, Mel went to Dorval and Lachine, Quebec and qualified as aLeading Aircraftman. In March 1956, he got married while at CFB Uplands andthen served at Penhold, AB as a munitions and weapons technician. After leavingthe RCAF on December 10, 1960, Mel built quality log homes throughout BCthen retired to Little Fort, BC. Melvin died in Kamloops, BC on January 2, 1993.www.legionbcyukon.ca141