Communicator

The Communicator — Fall 2013 Issue
Veterans Post
This past Remembrance day, Borden
Squadron joined Padre Brown in
honouring the memory of a very special
veteran of WW II, her Grandfather
Mel Parnell, who died November
11, 2001. Mel served with the First
Special Services Force (aka the Devils
Brigade). These Canadian soldiers
were hand-picked and highly
trained. Canadians made up a quarter
of the strength of this US/Canada
unit. Their stories are immortalized
in many books and movies. Once
asked by a local paper if any of these
stories were true, Mel conceded only
that maybe they got away with a little
bit more than the average unit. Typical
of veterans of his time he rarely
spoke of the war. However, I can remember often encountering
strangers at his home -members of his Brigade family who had to
come to Peterborough for medical reasons, and knew that they
would be welcome, given a place to stay, and help to see them
through difficult times, without question. Mel lived a typical veteran’s
life…. in a little war time house in the south end of Peterborough.
He spent most of his time growing roses, because his wife
loved roses. Mel and “Tiny” lived out their lives in that little house
with the roses, until she forgot who Mel was, as dementia set in.
She stayed there longer than she should have due to Mel’s stubborn
refusal to be separated from her. His response, when concern
for his or her welfare was expressed, and met simply with the
statement. “I promised her when I came back from the war that I
would never leave her again.” This promise defined him. His stories,
the brutal reality he must have participated in during the war
years were left in his
memories – the only
hint ever came at his
funeral when a man
came in to see the
family and said simply
“Mel saved my life.”
Never much for organized
religion, Mel
was nevertheless
thrilled when I became
an Ordained Minister
and affectionately referred
to me as “The
Rev” ever after. I
thank Borden Squadron
for helping me to
Remember him, he
would have been
thrilled, to raise a
toast with the Padre.
Births
Birth Announcement – Capt Flavia Beriault
busy week!
It’s another little girl! I
gave birth to a healthy
baby girl on Saturday
August 31st 2013 at
4:28am. Her name is
Bernadette Esperanza.
She weighed 8lbs 15oz
(a couple of ounces
away from 9lbs!) and
was 50cm in length.
We came home on
Sunday afternoon and
since then it’s been a
I’ve attached a couple of pictures. One from the day she was
born; in the hospital crib. Another that I took today.
Please excuse me for not having sent an email earlier. I posted
an announcement
on facebook from
my phone. Tonight
is the first night
I’ve been able to
sit a the computer
– and I hear her
crying once more!
I’m enjoying my
third daughter
very, very much!
My older 2, Kaylie
and Maria Isabel,
love having a baby
sister!
Capt Daniel Zhang – New arrival
The newest addition to 32 Sig
Regt Ops, Mona Y.Y. Zhang has
arrived back home, weighing in at
3.3kg
and 55
cm long.
She is
doing
fine but
mom and
dad
could
use more
sleep.
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