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Topic: Excersise Ardent Ground 1987 Belgium (Read 345 times)
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Tim McCully
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Anyone out there remember this one ? what a blast. Mortar/Artillary units from AMF participated in these exercises every 2 years. i was with mortars from 85 to 88 when i was posted to the Base cheifs office in Halifax. (They needed some one to show them how to dress). Anyhow how about those wrestling nuts from Mortars where r ya, Eric Sauve, Brian MaGeen, Joe Henry, Lou Fudge, and Gargemell. Would like to here from you guys some time.
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1RCR (82-88) B coy 6pl, (84-85) UNFICYP- BBC coy Tpt, C coy 9pl, E coy Mortars, (88-90) CFB Halifax Base Chief's Staff, CFB Trenton Refinisher Tech.(90-92). UNFICYP,CPSM
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Bob Buist
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Hey Tim,
Are you any relation to Mike McCully from Parsboro N.S. (spelling)? Mike and joined together and started out with the Royals until we seperated ways in the mid 70's. I also know his brother Ed who was a PPCLI and has a business here in Edmonton.
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Run fast,run hard and never look back.
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Gerry Connors
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Hey Tim, I was with Duke's from '82 to '88; knew Joe Henry and I think I knew Lou Fudge (?from Ramea NL). Joe got posted to TPT here in Gagetown about a year ago. He's been an MSE OP for quite awhile now.
-gerry
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1RCR Duke's Coy '82 - '87; Cyprus '84 / '85
LOTPed medic 1988; CFH Halifax '88 - '90
119 AD Bty medic, CFB Chatham '90 - '95
2RCR medic '95 - '00; SFOR Bosnia, 2RCR Roto 4 '99;
42 Hlth Svc Gagetown '00 - '02
CFRC Gagetown / Fredericton '02 - '06; 'retired' Aug '06
HMCS Jolliet, Sept-Iles QC, medical staff / 'tiffy' (reserves)
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Fire Mission Four Mortars!
Hi Tim.
Miie Blais here. Former FC, 1RCR, 82-85. Myself, Niel Reese and Sammy Lavoie were sent over to Belgium from London in 84, I think. Can't remember the name of the base but it was close to Malmedy, infamous for the slaughter of American soldiers at the height of the battle of the Bulge. Unfortunately for us, it was just a 3-man fire control team that was sent from London and not the entire platoon. Talk about being a spare, ah, spitoon at the wedding. Nevertheless, as was common, we accompanied the 2RCHA contingent after meeting them in Trenton. The FOO Techs at the time were Shaun Moyles and , um, damn, Pete Rose I think. (I was on the same FOO tech course in Pet with em the year before. John Pullman, then with the airborne, was as well. Guys treated me good. Real Good.) Anyhow, as it came to pass, somebody neglected to include 81mm mnortar ammunition when they sent the goods off from wherever so......
We were pretty well relagated to observer status. Professionally, this was an ideal opportunity (hey, you got to make the best out of the hand your dealt) as we'd join the other nation's FOO-fire controller teams each day and observe their procedures. And fly the flag, of course. At least they knew we were there. Course, be a cold day in hell when anybody offer to give us some of their ammo to play with so it was pretty low intensity. Unlike the the year the entire platoon deployed to England in 83... Which, IMO, was one of the best ACE Mobile gun camps I'd ever been on. (Someone might be inclined to post a picture of the platoon in front of Stonehenge, you might be suproised to see a very young Lieutenant Devlin...amogst fifty some odd other men of fine repute!)
Back to Belgium... Actually, this is kind of funny. We meet the boys from Pet in Trenton and fly off to lahr. Picks up a jeep and a trailor off the arty boys in Lahr and head off for Belgium. Anyhow, we gets there and the RCHA guys got a fine reception party, like, tally hooooo. Us, we get this kind of vague look. After a bit, a QMSI appears, hard fellow, Royal Marine, if memory serves me correct. Good man, top nco, mortar operations. He introduces himself, points out where the sergeants quarters are then asks how much ammunition weve been alloctated. Had'nt a clue!  Turns out the answer was ziparoolie. Being a nice fellow, he then offers to help us lug some of our gear up to the third floor of the headquarters building. Sammy flips back the tarp of the jeep trailer and, strike me dead if Im lying, the man looked like he was poleaxed when he spotted several cases of pint cans of Heinni and, of course, the obligatory assemblage of fine Canadian whiskeys, Jamaican rum and some quality russian vodka. (NOw dont get me wrong, we did not know what the supply system would be like in Belgium and, like all godd Royals, I thought it might be prudent were we ensure the situation irrelevant prior to departure.)
Needless to say, we were well favoured amogst the senior NCO's lads of several nations who shared the shack and, by the time the excercise ended, some pretty good friendships were established. In fact, when we went to England the next year, many fo the lads looked us up...
Would you be the same Tim McCully that was in Pioneers in 78?
You might remember my fridge. 
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Tim McCully
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Hey there Mike, We actually have crossed paths ourselves back in the days of the first and finest. To answer your ? was i related to Mike McCully from Parsboro, well my dads father (my Grandfather) had a brother that chose to go with an uncle across the harbour to Parsboro while my grandfather pursued my grandmother back on the centerville side over near the lookoff. I'm told that whole bunch of McCully's in Parsboro are my kin folk. Now Mikey, you and i served in Cyprus together, in fact your old buis. card from the welfare office is with my collection of memorabilia. You remustered to Dental in what 86? We ran in to each other on the civi side a time or two as well. I still see alot of the London boys from the 80's. Now Ardent Ground, your story sparked my memories of each Contingent involed in the excersise had thier own JR'S in the basement of ouir Quarters, we fought with all the contingents during drunken riots and at the end came out on top of the excersise, i remember as the buses were waiting and we finished up the parade, warrant Clark R.D. yelled out, " 1RCR Mortar platoon, we outshot em, we out marched em, and we out fought em, to the buses,, Dissmissed". !! It was a memory to last for sure! I think the camp was called " Lager Alenbach" I remember the Americans doing a parade to their senitalf in Malmedy during the down time. We had a great time we got some time to go to Liege and party, if we wanted a ride back we had to be at the trucks by 10 PM if not we were on our own. Pops (Steve Brickman) and Tim Baker and I took the train the next day to Vervierre then hitch hiked to the camp we had to be there for 19:00 hrs. The first car that stopped, the guy liked us so much that he insisted that he drive us to the camp but he wanted to take us home and show us off to his family, it was a really cool experience. We were back at the camp for 18:00 and still not quite sober but able to hold it together. Any way mike i've seen you on here before and read some of your stuff, but i didn't know if you would remember me. I'm a pretty busy fellow these days, Trucking, for 12 years now. Ran the US for 10 years then started running Canada only out of Belleville ON. Right now i'm @ my sisters place on the west coast, Pitt Meadows. Tuesday morning i am scheduled to drop some military shelter components to a base in Montreal. Don't know which one yet! find that out in the AM when i load. After that i will be home tuesday night in Madoc, throwing a line in the water at various strategic times throughout wednesday, thurs. while balancing home chores till friday @ which time i will recieve next weeks dispatch. Still with the same old girl since 83 (don't know how she does it), kids are just about grown and in the hands of the creator. Daughter and older boy still living in London, and 2 left @ home. Mike i retired in 92 after 10 and 2/3 years, I had remustered into the refinishing tech trade and spent my last 2 years in Trenton working on the Hercs, Boeings, and other various aircraft. Couldn't adjust to the airforce way of thinkin (don't put blue on a soldier!), tried going back to the Regt. when i was turned down there, i put in my release at the start of the FRP. Moved back to London in 93 and left there in oct 2006. Thats pretty much "the Scoop" with me old fella. Now, i do believe it's your turn there Mike. Was good to hear from you buddy, thanks for replying to my post.
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1RCR (82-88) B coy 6pl, (84-85) UNFICYP- BBC coy Tpt, C coy 9pl, E coy Mortars, (88-90) CFB Halifax Base Chief's Staff, CFB Trenton Refinisher Tech.(90-92). UNFICYP,CPSM
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Tim McCully
Veteran 200+ Member
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Hey there Jerry, i remember a young slight fellow named Jerry Connors, wore glasses, dark hair, dukes coy. Think that is you my friend! i do remember you Jerry. I am just sitting in a truck stop in Brandon MB reading this and thought i would take the oppurtunity to say hello, we have tipped a pint or 2 together in the past. That is good you are in touch with Joe, can you tell him i said hello please. In fact, why don't you take that fellow right to a PC and make him respond. Havn't seen Joe since 90 in Borden when he gave me a hanfull of motor cycle helmets. Ask him "where the F*@k is Brian MaGeen anyway?" got to get back in the saddle budy, stay safe and good to hear from ya. drop me a line sometime. by the way i go to gagetown lots with my truckin job! C-ya
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1RCR (82-88) B coy 6pl, (84-85) UNFICYP- BBC coy Tpt, C coy 9pl, E coy Mortars, (88-90) CFB Halifax Base Chief's Staff, CFB Trenton Refinisher Tech.(90-92). UNFICYP,CPSM
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Gerry Connors
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Hi Tim, good to hear from ya! ; yeah, that would be me; except now not so slim and a weeeee bit older. Presently on my terminal leave (since 23 June); "officially" finished 14 Aug. Packers are in tomorrow for pre-pack. Wife is posted RSS to Sept Iles Que (way up the northern Gaspe: 8 hours from Quebec City; 10 hours from lab City on the Lab highway) for her last 4 years at a reserve naval unit. gonna start 'troutin' again. If I see Joe before I go, I'll give him a heads-up.
-gerry aka 'killer con' (only because I was the smallest in the platoon)
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1RCR Duke's Coy '82 - '87; Cyprus '84 / '85
LOTPed medic 1988; CFH Halifax '88 - '90
119 AD Bty medic, CFB Chatham '90 - '95
2RCR medic '95 - '00; SFOR Bosnia, 2RCR Roto 4 '99;
42 Hlth Svc Gagetown '00 - '02
CFRC Gagetown / Fredericton '02 - '06; 'retired' Aug '06
HMCS Jolliet, Sept-Iles QC, medical staff / 'tiffy' (reserves)
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Tim McCully
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hey Jerry, i'm home in madoc now and read your reply. Glad to hear you will be troutin soon. Make sure you get everything you got comin buddy when you say your final farewells. Register with VA right away and know the new veteran's charter Jerry. It will serve you well. Do you ever plan on one day retiring home in NFLD? That is one place i hope to get to one day. The transition to civi street can be harsh brother be prepared to deal with alot of fools. Hope you do well my friend. Wife is draggin my ass off to bed now so gotta go Jerry talk to you soon.
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1RCR (82-88) B coy 6pl, (84-85) UNFICYP- BBC coy Tpt, C coy 9pl, E coy Mortars, (88-90) CFB Halifax Base Chief's Staff, CFB Trenton Refinisher Tech.(90-92). UNFICYP,CPSM
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Eric Sauve
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Hi there Scoop... (Tim)... I saw you message... I know the exact location of Brian McGean, Joe Henry and Lou Fudge... I've lost contact with Gargamell... Last I heard he was in Edmonton as an MSE OP.... that was in '94. Yeah... Ardent Ground was really cool..... Also... I'm still in contact with Joe Chyka.... now a commisionaire.... Cheers, Eric Sauve
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Tim McCully
Veteran 200+ Member
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WEll... I'm : ; F@#K 'n Stunned !!! ? HOW THE HELL ARE YA BROTHER  this is the best reply i've had this decade, honestly i have been wondering about you guys for years ! are you in contact with Brian online Eric ? I did see an e-mail you sent me awhile back Eric but i don't remember if i ever found the time to reply. Been a busy boy with this game of life my friend. Enough about me where are you, what are you up to?
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1RCR (82-88) B coy 6pl, (84-85) UNFICYP- BBC coy Tpt, C coy 9pl, E coy Mortars, (88-90) CFB Halifax Base Chief's Staff, CFB Trenton Refinisher Tech.(90-92). UNFICYP,CPSM
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Paul Anderson
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Hi there..
I was with the regiment from 85-89 then remustered to radop..
Anyways I was part of the advance party that went on that ex. We went straight from Norway i believe over to Belgium.
There was about 5 or 6 of us who went. The name of the camp was Elsenborn I think. That was one of the best ex i had ever been on. Dont remember names but i do recognize some faces. I remember that being there so early we were allowed to go on a little vacation. I also remember our mortar almost taking out the amf commanders bunker.... i have never heard someone swear on a radio quite like him before but he wanted our nuts in a sling and thrown in jail....good times.
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