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Topic: Our last one "Jack Babcock" WWI The Royal Canadian Regiment!! (Read 638 times)
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Jim Hickson
CWO H.J. Hickson, MMM, CD. (Retd)
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Pro Patria
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Our last one "Jack Babcock" WWI The Royal Canadian Regiment!!
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1961-Depot San Lenorado
1962-1st Bn RCR Ex Gagetown
1962-JR NCO Course Grad 19 Oct
1962-1965 Germany B-C-D-A Coy (Revecated Nov 64)
1965-1967 Sigs Pl Cyprus Prom CPL 'til xmas and C of Drums
1967-1973 Cpl, MCpl, Sgt, Sigs, D Coy
1973-1977 CFOCS Chilliwack Prom WO
1977-1982 UEO, Sigs, Pl WO RECCE, CSM B&A Coy,
1982-1984 SIT School
1984-1988 Career Manager (Prom CWO 1986)
1988-1990 RSM 1RCR
1991-1995 CWO Adm(Per) - C Of S
1995-1999 Base CWO Wainwright
1999-Retired
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Well, this is a dandy one Jim, thanks for getting it up here. I hope Jack gets to the next celebration at 110, and he just might. A lot of very interesting things in here.. i hope all find time to read it.. ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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Jim Hickson
CWO H.J. Hickson, MMM, CD. (Retd)
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Hi Ron
It's really something! Imagine you putting your life down on paper at 107. Shet really good!!!
Jim
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1961-Depot San Lenorado
1962-1st Bn RCR Ex Gagetown
1962-JR NCO Course Grad 19 Oct
1962-1965 Germany B-C-D-A Coy (Revecated Nov 64)
1965-1967 Sigs Pl Cyprus Prom CPL 'til xmas and C of Drums
1967-1973 Cpl, MCpl, Sgt, Sigs, D Coy
1973-1977 CFOCS Chilliwack Prom WO
1977-1982 UEO, Sigs, Pl WO RECCE, CSM B&A Coy,
1982-1984 SIT School
1984-1988 Career Manager (Prom CWO 1986)
1988-1990 RSM 1RCR
1991-1995 CWO Adm(Per) - C Of S
1995-1999 Base CWO Wainwright
1999-Retired
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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War vet marks 108th birthday
John Babcock will be feted in Canada, U. S.
Posted 15 hours ago
Canada's last living first World War veteran will celebrate his 108th birthday today with parties in two countries.
Jack Babcock, who was born and raised on a farm in Holleford, southeast of Verona, will quietly celebrate his milestone with his wife and about 20 friends in Spokane, Wash., where he now lives with his wife, Dorothy.
At the same time, the Hillside Coffee Company in Sydenham will throw a birthday party for the area's most famous son, with cake and cups of Jack's Joe, a blend they named after Babcock to mark his birthday last year.
"We thought it would be a nice thing to do," said Betty Frink, one of the organizers of the party, which will take place at 10 a. m. today.
"He still has family around here and there are people who remember him, so we thought we'd throw him a party."
Reached at his Spokane home, Babcock was tickled that people remember him back home and didn't rule out travelling back to his birthplace some day.
"I still have a lot of good memories of growing up there," said Babcock, who marched to war down Princess Street with hundreds of other young men in 1916.
He lied about his age and enlisted when he was only 15. His true age was discovered before he embarked for Europe and he was put in a boys brigade, where he was serving when armistice was declared.
He surrendered his Canadian citizenship when he moved to the United States after the war as dual citizenship did not exist in those days. He recently regained it after writing a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
He still plays down questions about whether he should receive a state funeral when he dies, similar to those that other countries have given their last World War I veterans.
Babcock said he never saw action and does not consider himself deserving of such an honour.
"I don't think it should be just for me, there should be something for all veterans," Babcock said.
"There should be something recognizing all World War I soldiers and all the boys who died. They were a fine, fine bunch of guys."
A public awareness campaign led by the Dominion Institute, one of Canada's largest public think-tanks, lobbied for most of 2006 to have the country's last surviving First World War veteran honoured with a state funeral and more than 100,000 Canadians signed a petition to support the campaign.
Traditionally reserved for prime ministers and governors general -the last one was held for former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in in 2000 - state funerals include a two-day period when the body lies in state on Parliament Hill before it is escorted to a funeral service, usually at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa.
At the time the petition was being circulated, there were two other Canadian veterans of the war and both have since died, leaving Babcock the sole living Canadian link to the war.
Parliament has since passed a resolution calling on the government to offer the family an official funeral.
Babcock, a private man, seemed a little taken aback by all the attention he is receiving, saying he is happy holding a low-key birthday with family and friends in his adopted home of Spokane.
"I've got my beautiful wife, who is smart as a whip and who has the heart of a lion, and right now she's got a blanket over me and she's waiting on me hand and foot, so I couldn't be happier," he said with a laugh.
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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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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Happy Birthday Jack, and may you continue to enjoy life as you so obviously do...you more than paid your dues..love it all .. ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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Uncle Bill
Veteran 100+ Member
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Happy Birthday Jack!!! PRO PATRIA!!!
I'd love to sit down and have a beer with this ol'soldier. The stories of his long life...
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