Former CDS Wayne Eyre publishes memoire

[daftandbarmy]

I never understood how a Country with 1.1 million serving citizens in WW2 could turn around and vote in a war dodging idiot like PET as Prime Minister?

I wish my grand parents were still alive as its a conversation I would love to have with them.

Love him or hate him, it's a fascinating story...

https://thehub.ca/2024/02/12/antony-anderson-how-pierre-trudeau-went-from-the-political-grave-to-prime-minister-once-again/

 

[Halifax Tar]

I never understood how a Country with 1.1 million serving citizens in WW2 could turn around and vote in a war dodging idiot like PET as Prime Minister?

I wish my grand parents were still alive as its a conversation I would love to have with them.

While many Canadians would disagree with the broader sentiment of your post, they would nonetheless argue that he was a great Prime Minister. Many in my own family share that view.

At the end of the day, Canadians get the government they deserve.

 

[ytz]

I never understood how a Country with 1.1 million serving citizens in WW2 could turn around and vote in a war dodging idiot like PET as Prime Minister?

"It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it."

Also, I am guessing that Pearson was a decent PM and PET benefit from being a minister in his government.

 

[ueo]

Interesting how PET managed to avoid being conscripted in the 2nd World War

Literally ran for the hills plus $$$$$

 

[FJAG]

I never understood how a Country with 1.1 million serving citizens in WW2 could turn around and vote in a war dodging idiot like PET as Prime Minister?

I wish my grand parents were still alive as its a conversation I would love to have with them.

Easy answer. It was the times. The Sixties had numerous surges towards young, fresh and exciting. Flower Power and all that. His opposition in the 1968 election were Stanfield and Douglas - about as old and stodgy as it gets. On top of that he'd just taken over from Pearson who was retiring and thus was the "new Incumbent prime minister" when he called the election and was riding on the wave of the party convention. Not only did he win a solid majority of seats but had 45% of the popular vote. Hell. I was already leaning conservative and even I voted for him in what was the first election where I could vote.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

I never understood how a Country with 1.1 million serving citizens in WW2 could turn around and vote in a war dodging idiot like PET as Prime Minister?

No, Pierre Elliott Trudeau did not dodge conscription, though he actively opposed it and campaigned against it during World War II. [1, 2]

• Joined the Canadian Officers' Training Corps: As a university student at the Université de Montréal, Trudeau was required to join the Canadian Officers' Training Corps (COTC) under the wartime National Resources Mobilization Act.
• • Home Guard Service: He served in Canada as part of the home defense reserve forces rather than dodging service, though conscripts at the time were generally not deployed overseas unless they volunteered (and overseas active service was mostly handled by volunteers).
  • Political Opposition: Trudeau strongly opposed forced conscription and campaigned for anti-conscription candidates, such as Jean Drapeau, in the 1942 Outremont by-election.
  • Expulsion from COTC: His open political opposition and lack of discipline eventually led to his dismissal/expulsion from the Officers' Training Corps in 1944

 

[Halifax Tar]

No, Pierre Elliott Trudeau did not dodge conscription, though he actively opposed it and campaigned against it during World War II. [1, 2]

• Joined the Canadian Officers' Training Corps: As a university student at the Université de Montréal, Trudeau was required to join the Canadian Officers' Training Corps (COTC) under the wartime National Resources Mobilization Act.
• • Home Guard Service: He served in Canada as part of the home defense reserve forces rather than dodging service, though conscripts at the time were generally not deployed overseas unless they volunteered (and overseas active service was mostly handled by volunteers).
  • Political Opposition: Trudeau strongly opposed forced conscription and campaigned for anti-conscription candidates, such as Jean Drapeau, in the 1942 Outremont by-election.
  • Expulsion from COTC: His open political opposition and lack of discipline eventually led to his dismissal/expulsion from the Officers' Training Corps in 1944

He would have been considered a zombie, no ?

 

[The Bread Guy]

I never understood how a Country with 1.1 million serving citizens in WW2 could turn around and vote in a war dodging idiot like PET as Prime Minister?

I wish my grand parents were still alive as its a conversation I would love to have with them.

Once Churchill did his bit to help win WW2, out he went, too. Sometimes, folks get tired & want a change.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

He would have been considered a zombie, no ?

He abided by the laws of the land, and in keeping with his heritage as a French-Candian, most of whom were decidedlhy against conscription.

Calling thise people is no different than calling them a Fobbit, and equally puerile

 

[Cloud Cover]

Interesting how PET managed to avoid being conscripted in the 2nd World War

In the USA during the Vietnam war, lots of guys joined US orgs similar to COTC to avoid the draft and serve at home. And I wouldn’t be too happy either if I had no interest in the military and was drafted to go fight a foreign war where the enemy never even attacked my home soil.

 

[Cloud Cover]

He would have been considered a zombie, no ?

Interestingly I think one of his sons flunked basic but had weak aspirations of being an officer.

 

[dapaterson]

Back on topic, my impression (having read about half of Wayne's book) is that it's a very Army book.

He foot stomps for things he thinks are important (and adds commentary about things that are important and need to change to retain relevant), and is perhaps excessively polite.

For example, when talking about his experiences as a subbie he mentions his roommates, their minimalist approach to housekeeping, and how one of them was "a fearless challenger of the status quo". He doesn't spill the tea about that.

That "here's a lead to a story that I won't tell" runs throughout the book.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

He abided by the laws of the land, and in keeping with his heritage as a French-Candian, most of whom were decidedlhy against conscription.

Calling thise people is no different than calling them a Fobbit, and equally puerile

Truly egregious typing. I hate it when Mercury is in Retrograde. Corrected version

He abided by the laws of the land, and in keeping with his heritage as a French-Canadian, most of whom were decidedly against conscription.

Calling these people Zombies is no different than calling them a Fobbit, and equally puerile

 

[Cloud Cover]

Back on topic, my impression (having read about half of Wayne's book) is that it's a very Army book.

He foot stomps for things he thinks are important (and adds commentary about things that are important and need to change to retain relevant), and is perhaps excessively polite.

For example, when talking about his experiences as a subbie he mentions his roommates, their minimalist approach to housekeeping, and how one of them was "a fearless challenger of the status quo". He doesn't spill the tea about that.

That "here's a lead to a story that I won't tell" runs throughout the book.

Just can’t bring myself to spend money on reading about one of Trudeau’s appointees, especially if the smut or grossly foul language is cut out. So I’ll rely on what others have written, and by many accounts he was a decent enough chap and was once an able officer unfortunately pulled into the orbit of a modern Elagabalus.

 

[dapaterson]

Just can’t bring myself to spend money on reading about one of Trudeau’s appointees, especially if the smut or grossly foul language is cut out. So I’ll rely on what others have written, and by many accounts he was a decent enough chap and was once an able officer unfortunately pulled into the orbit of a modern Elagabalus.

Your local public library should have a copy.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Your local public library should have a copy.

It will. Right after we reverse the decolonization of libraries.