.... Finishing high school in North Battleford, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in September 1942 and served as aircraft instrument technician in England and Scotland.
Following the war, he attended the University of British Columbia on a veterans' education plan, and there he met the love-of-his-life-to-be, Anna (Anne) Dorothy Rohn, as she dished out his meals at the residence cafeteria. They married in May 1949 as Dad graduated with two degrees, one being a social work degree that led to a job in Fernie, B.C. where he subsequently was made an honorary chief of a First Nation, as a result of his work.
Meanwhile, he served in the RCAF (Auxiliary) while a full-time student, and rejoined the RCAF (Regular) in 1954 after returning from the University of London, England, where he obtained a post-graduate diploma in social work.
For the next 17 years in the Air Force, Dad's title was ASWelO (Area Social Welfare Officer). He would help Air Force personnel with personal or social problems, of which we children never were told details. But on many a Saturday, when our family was out together in the Volkswagen Beetle, we would sit in the car outside clients' homes for what seemed like hours while Dad was in there counselling them after having told us “I'll just be five minutes.” (Mum must have had the patience of Job).
Stationed in Europe from 1964 to 1969, Dad developed a keen interest in German culture and language, which continued through the decades and resulted in many friendships and return trips.
He left the RCAF (Regular) in 1970 ....
