(Senlis?) Jean Boulduc (1480) (?) Henri Boulduc (1485/86) / same as Henry Boulduc of 1507? (?) Marie Boulduc (1506) (?) Lambert Boulduc (1522) X Jean Malenvoge Henry Boulduc (Boulleduc, 1556/57) (b. circa 1500) Marie Boulduc Prisce Boulduc (b. before 1530) X Marguerite Lobry (b. circa 1525 X Pierre Darras Jacques Boulduc (?) Antoine Boulduc † after 1570) (Godmother of Katherine (Godfather in 1557.) (Godfather in 1562.) X Henry Coquin Boulduc in 1560.) in 1541 Henry Boulduc Jeanne Boulduc Symon Boulduc Charles Boulduc (b. 21 April 1545, † October 1590) (b. circa 1539) (b. 11 August1541 (b. 19 April 1543, † between 28 August (Merchant in Paris in 1585, Innkeeper on Bourg-Labbé Street, X Marie Roussel † after 23 June 1625) 1579 & 6 August 1595) (Merchant Draper.) Godfather of Charles Boulduc in 1585.) X Loys Bruslé X Jacqueline de Bonnaire (b. 8 March 1548 X Marie de Verberie (Godmother of † after 20 July 1599) (Godmother of Nicolas Boulduc in 1575.) Symonne Boulduc (Daughter of Simon & Colette Fouques.) in 1565.) (?) Katherine Boulduc (b. 9 May 1560, † in 1583) Pierre Boulduc (b. 29 June 1562) Laurent Boulduc X(?) Marguerite Brutal X Louis Dugast 15 July 1581 X Hélène Joye in 1589 (Merchant in the Palace of Paris, cousin of Loys Boulduc.) (Godmother of Marguerite Boulduc in 1572.) Symonne Boulduc Henry Boulduc Jacques Boulduc Loys Boulduc (b. 1 October 1570) Marguerite Boulduc (b. 5 December 1565) (b. 31 October 1567) (b. 11 August 1569, (Merchant Grocer at the “Marché aux (b. 2 August 1572) † 1574?) Poirées” [The White Market] in Paris.) X Françoise Le Brun (m. 6 Aug 1595, Paris) Jacques Boulduc Nicolas Boulduc Antoine Boulduc Jacqueline Boulduc Charles Boulduc Geneviève Boulduc (b. 31 August 1574) (b. 23 September 1575) (b. 10 January 1577) (b. 30 January 1579) (b. 23 March 1585) (b. 23 January 1588) X Marie Desnotz X(?) Marie Drouet Yan J. Kevin Bolduc Family Tree
26
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(Senlis?)
Jean Boulduc (1480) (?) Henri Boulduc (1485/86) / same as Henry Boulduc of 1507?
(?) Marie Boulduc (1506) (?) Lambert Boulduc (1522)
X Jean Malenvoge
Henry Boulduc (Boulleduc, 1556/57)
(b. circa 1500) Marie Boulduc Prisce Boulduc (b. before 1530)
X Marguerite Lobry (b. circa 1525 X Pierre Darras
Jacques Boulduc (?) Antoine Boulduc † after 1570) (Godmother of Katherine
(Godfather in 1557.) (Godfather in 1562.) X Henry Coquin Boulduc in 1560.)
in 1541
Henry Boulduc Jeanne Boulduc Symon Boulduc Charles Boulduc (b. 21 April 1545, † October 1590)
(b. circa 1539) (b. 11 August1541 (b. 19 April 1543, † between 28 August (Merchant in Paris in 1585, Innkeeper on Bourg-Labbé Street,
X Marie Roussel † after 23 June 1625) 1579 & 6 August 1595) (Merchant Draper.) Godfather of Charles Boulduc in 1585.)
X Loys Bruslé X Jacqueline de Bonnaire (b. 8 March 1548 X Marie de Verberie
(Godmother of † after 20 July 1599) (Godmother of Nicolas Boulduc in 1575.)
Symonne Boulduc (Daughter of Simon & Colette Fouques.)
in 1565.) (?)
Katherine Boulduc (b. 9 May 1560, † in 1583) Pierre Boulduc (b. 29 June 1562) Laurent Boulduc X(?) Marguerite Brutal
X Louis Dugast 15 July 1581 X Hélène Joye in 1589 (Merchant in the Palace of Paris, cousin of Loys Boulduc.)
(Godmother of Marguerite Boulduc in 1572.)
Symonne Boulduc Henry Boulduc Jacques Boulduc Loys Boulduc (b. 1 October 1570) Marguerite Boulduc
(b. 5 December 1565) (b. 31 October 1567) (b. 11 August 1569, (Merchant Grocer at the “Marché aux (b. 2 August 1572)
† 1574?) Poirées” [The White Market] in Paris.)
X Françoise Le Brun (m. 6 Aug 1595, Paris)
Jacques Boulduc Nicolas Boulduc Antoine Boulduc Jacqueline Boulduc Charles Boulduc Geneviève Boulduc
(b. 31 August 1574) (b. 23 September 1575) (b. 10 January 1577) (b. 30 January 1579) (b. 23 March 1585) (b. 23 January 1588)
X Marie Desnotz X(?) Marie Drouet
Yan J. Kevin Bolduc Family Tree
Ysambert Le Brun X Perette Conseil
(Bourgeois Merchant
in Paris.)
Loys Boulduc X Françoise Le Brun Guillaume Le Brun
(Bourgeois Merchant
in Paris.)
Geneviève Le Brun
Adam Pijart X Jacqueline Le Charon
(Goldsmith)
Marie Boulduc
1 X Jacques Parent
2 X Gilles Gond
Louis Boulduc
(Grocer)
Pierre Boulduc X Gillette Pijart
(Apothecary)
1607 - 14.05.1670
Claude Hubert X Isabelle Fontaine
(Attorney at the
Parliament of Paris.)
Pierre Boulduc
(Lieutenant at the
Maréchaussée.)
X Mrs Barbié
Louis Boulduc X Élisabeth Hubert
(King’s Procurator
Provostship of
Quebec.)
Simon Boulduc X Marie-Élisabeth
(Apothecary of the King, de Lestang
Member of the Royal
Academy of Sciences.)
1652 - 22.02.1729
Gilles Boulduc
(Augustinian
Monk.)
[Father ‘Amable’
Bosleduc?]
Jacques Boulduc
(Augustinian
Monk.)
[Father ‘Amable’
Bosleduc?]
Gilles-François Boulduc
(Apothecary of the King,
Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences.)
20.02.1675 - 17.01.1742
1 X Marie-Anne Alexandre, †1714.
2 X Edmée Catherine Millon
Simon-Charles Boulduc
(Canon at Lisieux.)
Marie-Élisabeth Boulduc X
Guy Érasme Emmerez
(Doctor at the Faculty of
Medicine of Paris.)
Marie-Madeleine Boulduc X
François Spire Chastelier
(Procurator at the Châtelet.)
Jean Boulduc
(Deceased very young)
Jean-François Boulduc
(First Apothecary of the King.)
20.02.1728 - 18.08.1769
(No Descendants)
Louis Boulduc X Élisabeth Hubert
m. 1668, Québec
Louis Bolduc
Born 10 July 1669, Beauport
& Louise Caron
m. 1697, Ste-Anne
Marie-Anne Boulduc
& Jean Marsolet
m. 1690, Québec
Louis Bolduc
Twin Brother of
Jacques, born 15
October 1672
Godfather: Frontenac
Jacques Bolduc
& Marie-Anne Racine
m. 1701, Ste-Anne
René Bolduc
& Marie-Anne Gravel
m. 1700, St-Joachim
Marie-Ursule Bolduc
& Henri Breault
m. 1692, Québec
Louise Bolduc
Godfather: Frontenac
Louise Bolduc
& Joseph
Poulin
m. 1718,
Beaupré
Louis Bolduc
& Marguerite
Poulin
m. 1725, St-
Joachim
Joseph Bolduc
& Thérèse
Poulin
m. 1727, St-
Joachim
Pierre Bolduc
& Marie-
Josette Leblond
m. 1728, Ste-
Famille
Jean Bolduc
& Thérèse Racine
m. 1733, Ste-
Anne
Marie-Anne Bolduc
& Jean-Baptiste
Racine
m. 1737, St-Joachim
Prisque Bolduc
& Marguerite
Boucher
m. 1738, St-Joachim
Paul Bolduc
& Marthe
Racine
m. 1738, Ste-
Anne
Marie-Françoise Bolduc
& Joseph Couture
m. 1743, Ste-Anne
Vital Bolduc Pierre Bolduc
& Élisabeth Cloutier
m. 1752, Château-Richer
Étienne Bolduc Thérèse Bolduc Anne Bolduc
& Jacques Philippe Bélanger
m. 1764, St-Vallier
Jean-Baptiste Bolduc
Pierre Bolduc
& Marie-Josette Corriveau
m. 1771, St-Michel
Marguerite Bolduc
& Charles Tanguay
m. 1781, St-Vallier
Jean-Baptiste Bolduc
& Thérèse Bernard
m. 1788, St-Vallier
Élisabeth Bolduc
Madeleine Bolduc
& Nicolas Roy
m. 1795, St-Vallier
Joseph Bolduc
& Marcelline (Dessaint) Saint-Pierre
m. 1826, St-Gervais
Pierre Bolduc
& Marie-Anne Richard
m. 1803, St-Michel
Étienne Bolduc
& Reine Lefèbvre-Boulanger
m. 1814, St-Michel
Jean-Baptiste Bolduc
& Angélique Rousseau
m. 1819, St-Gervais
Pierre Bolduc
& Luce
Fradet
m. 1828, St-
Gervais
Marie Bolduc
& François
Rouillard
m. 1831, St-
Gervais
François-Xavier
Bolduc
& Marguerite
Boutin
m. 1831, St-
Anselme
Antoine Bolduc
& Marguerite
Roby-
Sanschagrin
m. 1834, St-
Michel
Joseph Bolduc
& Angèle
Gosselin
m. 1835, St-
Charles
Édouard Bolduc
& Sophie
Langlois
m. 1839, St-
Vallier
Magloire Bolduc
& Louise Maheux
m. 1840,
Napierville (St-
Rémi)
Honoré Bolduc
& Marie Chabot
m. 1844, Ste-
Claire
Henriette Bolduc
& Simon
Tanguay
m. 1842, St-
Gervais
Julienne Bolduc
& Laurent
Morin
m. 1843, St-
Gervais
François Bolduc
& Marguerite
Godbout
m. 1854, St-
Lazare
Jean-Baptiste Bolduc
& Marguerite
Turgeon
m. 1862, Ste-Claire
Noël Bolduc
& Philomène Roy
m. 1864, St-
Elzéar
Louis Bolduc
& Virginie Ouellet
m. 1873, St-
Lambert
Ludger Bolduc
& Marie
Gosselin
m. 1869,
Lambton
Martin Bolduc
& Arthémise
Tanguay
m. 1874, St-
Gervais
Onésime Bolduc
& Elmire Audet-
Lapointe
m. 1869, St-
Romain-de-Winslow
Pierre Bolduc
& Élisabeth
Boulanger
m. 1853, Lambton
Antoine Bolduc
& Olivine Boulanger
m. 1870, St-Romain-
de-Winslow
Philomène Bolduc
& Ferdinand Turcotte
m. 1857, Lambton
Marie Bolduc
& Augustin Pouliot
m. 1858, Lambton
Luce Bolduc
& Jean Roy
m. 1859, Lambton
Marguerite Bolduc
& Nazaire Laperrière
m. 1864, Lambton
Délia Bolduc
& Pierre Boulanger
m. 1873, Lambton
François Bolduc
& Célina Bédard
m. 1874, Lambton
Romuald Bolduc
& Adéline Gosselin
m. 1880, St-Sébastien
Honoré Bolduc
& Adéline Gosselin
m. 1885, St-Samuel
Marie Bolduc
& Joseph Gagnon
m. 1883, Lambton
Narcisse Bolduc
& Virginie Provost
m. 1885, Lambton
Georges Bolduc
& Valentine Gosselin
m. 1890, St-Samuel
Joseph Bolduc
& Alvine Gosselin
m. 1890, St-Samuel
Ludger Bolduc
& Georgianna Tardif
m. 1891, Lambton
Virginie Bolduc
& Guillaume-
Ernest (Willy) Paré
m. 1908, St-
Samuel
Amédée Bolduc
& Alphonsine
Giguère
m. 1911, Ste-Cécile
de Frontenac
Alvine Bolduc
& Adolphe
Baillargeon
m. 1912, St-
Samuel
Napoléon Bolduc
& Alice Bureau
m. 1923, St-
Samuel
Ernest Bolduc
& Rose-Alma
Pinard
m. 1913, St-
Sébastien
Lydia Bolduc
& Stanislas
Gobeil
m. 1914, St-
Samuel
Florentine Bolduc
& Alphée Lacroix
m. 1918, St-Samuel
Wilfrid Bolduc
& Lucienne
Deslongchamps
m. 1921, St-Samuel
Josaphat Bolduc
& Fidélise Bilodeau
m. 1919, St-Samuel
Elmina Bolduc
& Auguste Lessard
m. 1921, St-Samuel
Odora Bolduc
& Valéda Bilodeau
m. 1925, St-Samuel
Henri-Louis Bolduc
& Emma Gobeil
m. 1924, St-Samuel
& Elmina Bélanger
m. 1953, Ste-Agnès
Bertrand Bolduc
& Lili Gagné
m. 1950, St-
Romain
Géralda Bolduc
& Joffre Fortin
m. 1956,
Québec
Florian Bolduc
& Ghislaine Gagné
m. 1950, St-Romain
Guy Bolduc Mireille Bolduc
& Patrice Vallière
m. 1960,
Thetford-Mines
Jean-Paul Bolduc
& Paulette Dufresne
m. 1960, Thetford-
Mines
Joseph Odora Réginald Bolduc
& Marie Laure Dorothy Roy
m. 6 June 1964, Cacouna
Gilles Bolduc
& Yvette Guay
m. 1967, Lac Mégantic
Purchases the Paternal Farm in
Lac Drolet (formerly St-Samuel)
Godfather of Yan Bolduc
Yan J. Kevin Bolduc
& Linda Lisa La Guardia
m. 24 April 1994, Abilene, Texas
Kyle Anthony Bolduc
Rachel Lynn Bolduc Mina Winter Bolduc
ANCÊTRES CÔTÉ PATERNEL DE DOROTHY (DODO) ROY
Olivier Roy dit Desjardins x Catherine Boderge
Maître Tonelier de St-Jean de Joigny,
Diocèse de Sens, Charlemagne Jean Major x Marguerite Le Pelé
de St-Thomas de Fouques,
Diocèse de Lisieux, Normandie
Antoine Roy dit Desjardins (†1684) x Marie Major (Fille du Roy, †1689)
Tonelier de St-Jean de Joigny, de St-Thomas de Fouques, Diocèse de Lisieux, Normandie
Diocèse de Sens, Charlemagne, & m. à Québec, 11 septembre 1668
Soldat du Régiment Carignan-Salière
Joachim Martin x Anne Petit
Pierre Roy dit Desjardins (fils unique) x Marie-Anne Martin
m. à St-Pierre, Isle d’Orléans, 12 février 1691
François Bouchard x Marie-Anne Valière
Pierre Roy dit Desjardins x Marie Bouchard
Capitaine de Milice m. à Rivière-Ouelle, 7 juin 1717
Toussaint Cordeau x Geneviève Michaud
Jean-Baptiste Roy dit Desjardins x Marie-Catherine Cordeau
m. à Kamouraska, 28 septembre 1761
Germain Ouellet x Marie-Françoise Miville
Jean-Baptiste Roy dit Desjardins x Marie-Josephte Ouellet
m. à Kamouraska, 15 novembre 1790
André Lévesque x Geneviève Michaud
Honoré Roy dit Desjardins x Angélique Lévesque
m. à Trois-Pistoles, 20 Juillet 1830
Joseph Paré x Emérance Moreau
Joseph Roy dit Desjardins x Philomène Paré (de St-Clément)
Rentier m. à St-Arsène, Témiscouata, 29 juillet 1857
François Roy dit Desjardins x Sophie Lebel (de Fall River, USA)
Napoléon Roy dit Desjardins x Marie-Louise Roy dit Desjardins (3e degré de consanguinité)
Propriétaire de Moulin à scie m. à St-Cyprien, Rivière-du-Loup, 23 janvier 1905
Joseph (Jos) Larouche x Marie Chartier
Joseph François Oscar Roy x Marie-Anna Larouche
m. à Cacouna, 1 juin 1938
Marie Laure Dorothy (Dodo) Roy x Joseph Odora Réginald Bolduc
m. à Cacouna, 6 juin 1964
Oscar Roy & Marie-Anna Larouche, Cacouna, 1 juin 1938.
Sep 2009—Dec 2010, 55th Mx Sqdn Self Inspections Program Manager, Offutt AFB, NE
Major Awards and Decorations AF Commendation Medal with 1 bronze oak leaf cluster
AF Achievement Medal with 1 bronze oak leaf cluster
AF Joint Meritorious Unit Award
AF Meritorious Unit Award with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
AF Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device
AF Good Conduct Medal with 1 silver and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with 1 bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with 2 bronze stars
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
AF Overseas Ribbon Short
AF Overseas Ribbon Long with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
AF Longevity Service with 4 bronze oak leaf clusters
USAF NCO PME Graduate Ribbon with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle)
AF Training Ribbon
NATO Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait
Other Achievements 1991—Desert Warrior Outstanding Performance Appreciation (Bahrain)
1994—Meritorious Achievement from Task Force 525th Military Intel (US Army, Haiti)
1996—U-2 Hydraulic Fluid Testing Appreciation from OL-FR (France)
1997—PACAF Combat Employment Readiness Award (Alaska)
2000—Damaged Acft Rebuild Appreciation from 517th Commander (Alaska)
2005—Outstanding Instructor Award (Germany)
2009—Bailiff Duty Recognition for Professionalism from Staff Judge Advocate (Offutt AFB)
2009—ACC Outstanding Airmen of the Year Volunteer Recognition Award from ACC Command CMSgt
(Omaha)
Effective Dates of Promotion Mar 1987—Airman First Class
Jul 1989—Senior Airman
Jul 1990—Sergeant
Oct 1995—Staff Sergeant
Oct 2002—Technical Sergeant
Sep 2008—Master Sergeant
Remembering the Forgotten Mechanic
Through the history of world aviation many names have come to the fore
Great deeds of the past in our memory will last, as they're joined by more and more.
When man first started his labor in his quest to conquer the sky
he was designer, mechanic and pilot and he built a machine that would fly but somehow the order got twisted,
and then in the public's eye the only man that could be seen
was the man who knew how to fly
The pilot was everyone's hero, he was brave, he was bold, he was grand,
as he stood by his battered old biplane with his goggles and helmet in hand. To be sure, these pilots all earned it,
to fly you have to have guts. And they blazed their names in the hall of fame
on wings with bailing wire struts. But for each of these flying heroes
there were thousands of little renown, and these were the men who worked on the planes
but kept their feet on the ground.
We all know the name of Lindbergh, and we've read of his flight of fame.
But think, if you can, of his maintenance man, can you remember his name?
And think of our wartime heroes,
Gabreski, Jabara, and Scott. Can you tell me the names of their crew chief?
A thousand to one you cannot.
Now pilots are highly trained people, and wings are not easily won.
But without the work of the maintenance man, our pilots would march with a gun. So when you see mighty jet aircraft
as they mark their way through the air, the greased stained man with a wrench in his hand
is the man that put them there.
Anonymous
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON
SPECIAL ORDER NO. AC-008487 04 JUN 2010
MSG BOLDUC, YAN J K
OFFUTT AFB NE 681130000
EFFECTIVE 31 MAR 2011 YOU ARE RELIEVED FROM ACTIVE DUTY,
ORGANIZATION AND STATION OF ASSIGNMENT, RETIRED EFFECTIVE 01 APR 2011
PER AFI 36-3203 IN GRADE OF MSG.
HIGHEST GRADE HELD ON ACTIVE DUTY: MSG
SERVICE PER 10 USC 1405: 24 YEARS, 01 MONTHS, 22 DAYS
PROCEED TO HOME OF SELECTION
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
OFFICIAL
MICHAEL S. PITTS, COLONEL, USAF
CHIEF, OPERATIONS DIVISION
DIRECTORATE OF PERSONNEL SERVICES
Ode to the Military Wife
When the Lord was creating a military wife He ran into His sixth day of overtime. An angel appeared and said, "You're having a lot of trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"
The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? It has to be completely independent but must always be sponsored to get on a military installation. It must have the qualities of both mother and father during deployments, handle emergencies without an instruction manual, cope with flu and moves all around the world, have a kiss that cures anything from a child's bruised knee to a husband's weary days, have the patience of a saint when waiting for her husband to come home and, have six pairs of hands."
The angel shook his head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands? No way." The Lord answered, "Don't worry; we will make other military wives to help. Besides, it's not the hands that are causing the problem, it's the heart. It must swell with pride, sustain the ache of numerous separations while remaining true, beat soundly even when it feels too tired to do so, be large enough to say 'I understand' when it doesn't, and say 'I love you', regardless.
"Lord," said the angel, gently touching His sleeve. "Go to bed. You can finish it tomorrow." "I can't," said the Lord. "I'm so close to creating something quite unique. Already it can heal itself when sick, on a moment’s notice it will willingly embrace and feed total strangers who have been stranded during a PCS move and it can wave goodbye to its husband understanding why he had to leave."
The angel circled the model of the military wife very slowly. "It's too soft," he sighed.
"But tough," the Lord said excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this being can do or endure."
Finally the angel bent over and ran his finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," he said. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model." "It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear." "What's it for?" asked the angel. "It's for joy, sadness, pain, loneliness and pride." "You're a genius," said the angel.
Looking at her somberly, the Lord replied, "I didn't put it there."
Anonymous
Air Force Maintenance Badge Heraldry
The design of the falcon is a replica of the maintenance falcon located in the National Cathedral
at Washington DC. The falcon symbolizes the airborne strength by the Air Force and made
possible by the maintenance of aircraft, munitions, and communications-electronics equipment.
In its talons, the falcon is holding a bomb and a generic 21st century aircraft. They are crossed
to show the interrelationship of the career fields. The three levels of the award are signified by
the addition of a star centered above the falcon for the senior level and the star surrounded by
an olive wreath for the master level.
The aircraft, streamlined to depict a 21st century aircraft, is symbolic of all aircraft maintained
by the personnel who will wear the badge into the 21st century. The aircraft has three leading
edges, which represent the three enlisted maintenance specialties: aircraft, munitions, and
communications-electronics. The personnel, like the leading edges of the aircraft, work together
to support the flying mission. The bomb, streamlined to depict a modern munition, symbolizes
the primary mission of the Air Force maintainer to make sure they put the bombs on target. The
field is without obstruction and depicts a free sky and the olive wreath surrounding the badge,
symbolizes the peace, which we defend through professional maintenance.
14 December 2010, retirement speech given by Yan J. K. Bolduc.
“While I was tossing back and forth in bed last night trying to think of what to say for my
retirement speech, I came to realize that all my thoughts essentially surrounded three main
words: Privilege, Pride, and Dedication. While trying to keep my speech as short as I can, I will
explain why these words.
I’ve been privileged to have been born in the U.S.A. My father was working on his PHD in
Biochemistry at Purdue University, and my parents didn’t plan on having a baby right then and
there, but here I came. My father passed away of cancer in 1989, and he was the sort of person
you would find dressed up in a white coat working in a lab surrounded by vials and complex
equipment, just like you see in a James Bond movie on those scientific scenes. He was a
researcher and always lost in thoughts, and I find myself to be very much like him, always lost in
my own world. My wife is the total opposite in that respect, and she helps maintain my
humanity. I had the privilege of meeting her while in the military, and was proud to finalize her
divorce and get the necessary documentation in order to adopt her two children. He was six and
she was four at the time, and find myself extremely lucky to hear them call me “Dad”. It is such
an honor. Then I had the pride and privilege of seeing our daughter born.
Growing up in Canada, I discovered through the U.S. Consulate that in order to maintain my
American citizenship, I would have to live in the U.S. at least one year before I reached the age
of 22 (those were the rules then) in order for me to maintain my American citizenship. I had a
great fear of losing this as I had always felt proud to consider myself an American first, and I
soon realized that this became more important to me. After graduating from High School, I
drove five hours south to Plattsburgh where the nearest recruiter was. Incredibly I scored high
enough on the ASVAB test to be accepted, even though I didn’t understand all the questions, and
not only that but scored high enough not to be forced into the Security Forces career field as my
only option (don’t tell any SFS personnel I said that). This toss between Canadian and American
citizenship was challenged again after 9-11 when the military tracked down everyone in the
service who had more than one citizenship, and while I was interviewed by the FBI, I willingly
signed a letter stating that I was willing to lose my Canadian citizenship. Hopefully that doesn’t
mean I have lost it, I would rather keep both. But I turned in my Canadian passport then (I’ve
had one since birth) and they shredded it. I remember asking the SP personnel why this was
necessary, and he said because my allegiance, by having dual citizenship, was in question. This
infuriated me because by saying that he made me feel that the Enlistment Oath I had sworn at the
Albany MEPS Station didn’t mean a thing.
I’m also privileged of being a veteran of a foreign war when I went to Desert Shield/Desert
Storm in Bahrain for seven months. Shortly after the war, I couldn’t help but wonder at the
thought that from now on every time a child will read about Desert Storm in the history books,
they will actually read of me and what I had done in helping win the war, where I worked on the
F-4G Phantom II aircrafts from Spangdahlem AB, blowing up SAM sites to allow aircrafts with
no stealth technology to penetrate enemy lines and accomplish their missions. This war will
always be remembered and never forgotten. The pride I still feel to this day is incredible.
I had the privilege of visiting recently the National Museum of the Air Force near Wright-
Patterson AFB. Inside, I found a B-1B Lancer from Dyess AFB and remembered they had nose
arts on them. Walking around, I saw a big Reg Hog painted on it that I remembered so well from
being stationed at Dyess. I worked on this aircraft plenty of times as I had all the others, and yet
again, how could I not feel pride looking at a flying weapon that I helped maintain, and here it
was, in a museum! My proudest memory from working the B-1B is when I was called out on a
Red Ball for an Inoperable Boost Pump Indicator. As I ran up to the cockpit and received a very
brief and stern synopsis from the co-pilot, I reached over to the gage, tapped on the glass with
my knuckle, and pop, the little green circular flag flicked into view. I looked over to the co-pilot
and all he could do was stare at the gage in silence, probably thinking “Why the hell didn’t I
think of that?”. I know what I thought. It went something to the effect of: “That’s right. If it
weren’t for me, you’d be a pedestrian.” I simply asked if there was anything else, and left.
Not all of my experiences however were so cherished. My most disturbing experience came
when I was detached to an Army Intelligence Battallion as a French Interpreter in Haiti for
Operation Uphold Democracy, and one of my duties was to shadow prisoners when they were
being visited once a week in order for me to hear and report all conversations said. In this
particular instance, a drug lord was being visited by his family, and his mother was loud and
targeted her anger directly at me in French, because she could tell what I was there for. I was not
allowed to engage in conversations, but I understood her anger and this did not bother me in the
least. However, one thing did: his young daughter, probably ten years old or so, looking at me
and her father for the longest time, not knowing what to do or say. But one thing was obvious to
me: her eyes were screaming “Why are you doing this to my Daddy?” every time she looked at
me. This was by far the most disturbing sight I had ever experienced, and I was outraged that he
could bring shame not only to himself, but his entire family. There was nothing I could do, and
this girl probably remembers me to this day, thinking the worst of Americans who had captured
her father. Which brings me to my third and final word, Dedication.
I’ve had the privilege of living from the “outside” while growing up in Canada, and also when
visiting friends in France when I was younger, and I know what the “outside” world thinks of
Americans. It is true that they see us as being arrogant, that we have our nose in everyone’s
business. Perhaps some of you might even think why is it that we must involve ourselves with
everyone else’s problems? Well, the answer is very simple. Good will always win over evil
because of the truth. No matter how painful the truth might be when it happens, in the long run,
the truth will always solve every single thing. And the truth is, we as Americans are Dedicated.
Europeans have a luxury of living in the “cushion” of their culture which maintains them in a
steady pattern of life, that has been established for them by their past generations a very long
time ago. We are a young nation, one still strugling to recognize a single identity, and we have
fought hard and long through our pioneers in this New World to establish ourselves globally.
But we have accomplished this through just one thing: Dedication. Our culture is one of
Dedication. Because we are dedicated to what is RIGHT, and we are dedicated to what is JUST.