8813 John Gibson (RMC 1971) was finally rusticated from the Service on 6 November, 2009, for old age, having become 60. He had just received the third bar to the CD, for a total of 42 years service.
John served for 17 years in the 7th Toronto Regiment RCA, retiring as Commanding Officer in 1988. He subsequently served as Associate Deputy Director of Artillery, Ottawa, and first ever foreign member of the Directing Staff, USMC Command and Staff College, Quantico. He finished his service as the National Legal Advisor, Civil Military Co-operation (CIMIC). He is parachute qualified by four armies, and delighted to advise that those days are over!
John was President of the Toronto Branch of the RMC Club 1984-85 and National President 1997-98. He was National President of the Royal Canadian Artillery Association 1992-93 and President of the Royal Canadian Military Institute 1995-97. He received an M.A. in War Studies in 1998. He is the Vice-President (Legal Counsel) of the St. John Ambulance Ontario Council and the Honorary Solicitor of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, Great Lakes Region.
John is happily commanded by his wife, Her Worship Justice of the Peace Lynne Stethem, and is engaged in the private practice of law at:
65 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 800 – Toronto, Ontario M4T 2Y3 Tel: 416-964-9013 (H): 416-481-8502 Email: john@johndgibson.com
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23104 Grant Anderson (RMC 2005), assistant coach of the Loyalist Lancers women’s basketball team, is trading in his job on the court for the opportunity to serve his country in Afghanistan. Anderson left for Kandahar, Afghanistan recently and will be there for the next seven months serving in the Canadian Air Force as an aerospace engineer. He grew up in Verona, north of Kingston and attended the Royal Military College, Kingston, where he studied space science and was captain of the basketball team. Anderson has been in the military for over eight years and is enjoying every minute of it. He says, “I wanted to give back. Partly, it’s a great job opportunity. I wanted to be an aerospace engineer when I grew up and this is one way I could do it and guarantee employment. I get to travel with the military, which is great.” Although he is thrilled with the opportunity to serve overseas, he admits he is really going to miss the team and hopes to keep in touch while he’s away. During his short time coaching at Loyalist, he has greatly contributed to the team and has become a good friend to his players. Source
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10223 Dan Dempsey (RRMC RMC 1974) watched his first airshow as a youngster at RCAF Station Rockcliffe in Ottawa in 1959. From that early exposure grew a passion for flying and airshows that led to a 23 year military career with the Canadian Forces. A graduate of Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College of Canada, his military career included tours as a jet instructor, demonstration pilot with Canada’s Snowbirds nine-plane aerobatic team, fighter pilot on the CF-104 Starfighter based in Baden-Soellingen, West Germany and executive assistant to the Commander Air Command. It was during his second tour as commanding officer of the Snowbirds in 1989 and 1990 that he led the team through their 20th anniversary and 1,000th official performance. For his contribution to aviation in Canada, he was named to the Maclean’s magazine annual Honour Roll in December 1990.
Dan retired from the Canadian Forces in 1993 and was employed in the commercial airline industry for over 15 years flying the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, Boeing 747-400 and Boeing B777 200/300/300ER based in Hong Kong. His airline career took him to 30 destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. He retired from Cathay Pacific Airlines in 2009 as a training captain on the B777, his log books now recording over 14,000 hours flying time.
Dan is now employed as a pilot by Top Aces Inc, a subsidiary of Discovery Air, which provides dedicated combat support training to the Canadian Forces. He was also honoured to join the Centennial Heritage Flight in 2009, one of five pilots who flew Hawk One, the classic F-86 Sabre in Golden Hawk colours, across Canada in celebration of the nation’s 100th anniversary of powered flight. A Tradition of Excellence is now in its second printing. With its rare collection of interviews, photographs and artwork, it represents a detailed and loving tribute to a proud aerial legacy and the Canadians who created it. Accolades for the book have been received from airshow fans around the world. http://www.canadasairshowheritage.com/Author/tabid/406/Default.aspx
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Appointments Made To The Order Of Military Merit
Governor General Michaëlle Jean announced last Thursday the appointment of 111 military members to the Order of Military Merit, which recognizes distinctive merit and exceptional service displayed by regular and reserve members of the Canadian Forces.
(Photo at Left – Maj Julia May Atherley College Engineering Officer with Governor General Michaëlle Jean – at the investiture ceremony at Rideau Hall on Friday October 27, 2006.
We recognized the following 2010 names with a CMC connection. We regret if we missed anyone. If we did please let us know.
Captain (Navy) Joseph John Robert Richard Bergeron, O.M.M., C.D. (CMR 1979)
E1994 Major Kevin Linus Caldwell, O.M.M., C.D. (RMC)
10218 Colonel Francis Paul Crober, O.M.M., C.D. (RRMC RMC 1974)
13861 Commander Christopher John Deere, O.M.M., C.D. (RMC 1983)
15137 Colonel Charles Adrien Lamarre, O.M.M., C.D. (RMC 1985)
Colonel Patrice Joseph Roger Laroche, O.M.M., C.D. (RMC)
14596 Colonel Dean James Milner, O.M.M., C.D. (RRMC RMC 1984)
11943 Captain (Navy) Colin Wallace Plows, O.M.M., C.D. (RRMC 1978)
15456 Colonel Joseph Pierre Julien St-Amand, O.M.M., C.D. (CMR RMC 1986)
Colonel Robert Schuman Williams, O.M.M., M.S.M., C.D. (RRMC RMC )
17474 Captain Lennard Mark Johnston, M.M.M., C.D. (RRMC 1990)
17266 Major Jean-Yves Taschereau, M.M.M., C.D. (CMR)
Captain Peter William Hamilton, M.M.M., C.D (Just recently posted to RMCC – Ops and Planning Officer)