CANADA DAY with the RCN at PEARL HARBOUR .My Newsletters from China (#6 will follow shortly) found their way through the Victoria Branch of the RMC Club to 22866 Lt(N) Kathryn Ward (RMC ’04), Logistics Officer aboard HMCS OTTAWA. Kathryn kindly invited me to visit her ship when it visited Shanghai. I could not do so but I did manage to take up a second invitation to go aboard on Canada Day as I made my way home from China. HMCS OTTAWA and HMCS REGINA were participating in the RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) naval exercises held every two years.
The many ships of the ten navies participating in RIMPAC were in Pearl Harbour on July 1st. The OTTAWA and the REGINA, berthed alongside each other, hosted a splendid Canada Day reception with scrumptuous culinary offerings and beverages aplenty on the decks of both ships. The guests included officers from the other navies, many of them high-ranking, and me! The OTTAWA’s Commander, Cdr Martain Teft, was a most gracious host. There was an impressive sunset ceremony that included solo renditions of the US and Canadian national anthems. It was a great party and a wonderful way for me to get back onto Canadian soil, so to speak. Many thanks to Kathryn (who will be taking up a new post in Ottawa on August 1st) and to Cdr Teft for including me in these festivities. Nothing quite like the navy in their “whites” (although we gunners in our mess kits can be quite splendid too!). Incidentally, Japanese ships were participating. It took me a few moments to adjust to the reality of seeing Japanese flags flying in Pearl Harbour, a sure sign that WWII is over, but not forgotten. Next day I had the very memorable experience of visiting the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour.
3201 Austen (Aus) Cambon. (RMC ’54)
Photo Captions
(Click on each photo to enlarge)
Canada’s birthday cake, HMCS OTTAWA, Canada Day, Pearl Harbour.
Welcome aboard HMCS REGINA and HMCS OTTAWA, Canada Day, Pearl Harbour.
L to R: 22866 Lt (N) Kathryn Ward (RMC ’04), Logistics Officer, HMCS OTTAWA with 3201 Austen (Aus) Cambon (RMC ’54) and Cdr Martain Teft, Commander, HMCS OTTAWA.
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20537 Major Régis Bellemare (CMR RMC `97), will be a member of the Canadian Forces team to the internationally ranked 19th Annual NATO Chess Championships in Brussels, Belgium, from the 4 to 8 of August. Returning from Afghanistan, Régis is now G4 at Land Force Western Area Head Quarter in Edmonton were he lives with is wife Nathalie and his two daughters Alexane (4) et Lenya (2). Good luck to the Canadian team! http://www.natochess.com/
20537 Major Régis Bellemare (CMR RMC `97) fera partie de l’équipe des Forces canadiennes à la 19ième édition du prestigieux Championnat d’échecs de l’OTAN qui se tiendra à Bruxelles, Belgique, du 4 au 8 août. De retour d’Afghanistan, Régis est maintenant G4 au Quartier général du Secteur de l’Ouest de la Force terrestre à Edmonton. Il y habite avec sa conjointe Nathalie et ses deux filles, Alexane (4) et Lenya (2). Bonne chance l’équipe canadienne! http://www.natochess.com/
Photo: 20537 Major Régis Bellemare (CMR RMC 97), playing chess in Afghanistan.
20537 Major Régis Bellemare (CMR RMC 97), jouant aux échecs en Afghanistan.
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At West Point, future leaders point to ’24’
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Women go Dutch on the front line
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Legal Confusion For Piracy is International
This is a really good article giving an update on the Canadian naval forces operating in Task Force 150 managing the piracy problem in the Indian Ocean. We particularly like how this article reinforces the reality that in the modern age …
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Hawk CT155215 – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
“The aircraft was climbing through approximately 10,000 ft ASL at maximum continuous power 9 nautical miles (nm) southeast of the airfield when the pilots noticed a change in engine noise, followed shortly afterwards by a T6/NL caution (indicative of an engine malfunction) in the rear cockpit..”..
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