Prologue to ‘Reservist: Weekend Warrior’ Tales
In the 1970’s, when I was 16 and still in high school, I joined the Elgin Regiment, a militia unit in St. Thomas Ontario. At that time the ‘Elgins’ were a light-armoured reconnaissance unit. In the case of our unit, light-armoured meant four-wheel drive jeeps and trucks, although, training was also done with the regular army and true armoured vehicles. The stories in this ‘Reservist: Weekend Warrior’ Tales series should be read in order (1. Crash first). Names have been avoided or, when a name is necessary, a name has been changed. I hope you enjoy this glimpse of reservist experiences from the 70’s.
3. BLIZZARD
On the morning of Thursday, January 26th, 1978, heavy snowfall, record-breaking wind gusts, and an arctic air mass shut down the city of St. Thomas, Ontario, and the surrounding area. In St. Thomas, the Elgin Regiment, with its fleet of four-wheel drive and larger six-wheel drive vehicles, was called out to assist police and local authorities. The ‘aid to civil power’ operation lasted two days.
I hung up the phone. A ‘fan-out’, the regiment’s system of phoning members to report to the armouries for an emergency, was in progress. The major had asked if I was available and then said a truck would be coming to pick me up. When I offered to walk to the unit, he emphatically said not to walk. I was to wait for the truck. Because of road conditions, he did not know how long it would take the truck to arrive.
I’d been sitting in the kitchen looking out the window that faced Elm St. sipping on a cup of coffee when the phone rang. It looked wild outside. Gusts of wind occasionally whited out the scene with blowing snow and sizable drifts in the front yard and in wavy patterns across the street. Everything in the city was shut down. Now and then a brave, or foolish, soul would drive down the street but for the most part, the scene was void of human life. I went upstairs to my room and put on my uniform and then returned to the kitchen to watch for the truck. My heavy combat coat with liner in it hung on the back of my chair, and my lined gloves and black beret were laying on the table. I made another coffee.
It would be late afternoon before the truck arrived. They’d brought the ‘deuce and a half’, a six-wheel drive, 2-and-1/2-ton truck with a canvas-covered back. It stopped in the middle of the street and the driver blew the horn. I pulled on my coat and gloves and put on my beret and went out. The wind took my breath away. I leaned into it and trudged through the knee-deep snow to the rear of the deuce and climbed up over the tailgate and into the back. There were several other combat-clothed soldiers seated on the benches that ran from the gate to the back of the cab. The canvas broke the wind but I could see everyone’s breath in the cold. Apparently, I was the last stop.
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Ann Kuhn2 years ago
Awesome Harry, I remember this storm
Margo Ritchie2 years ago
What a compelling story and not only are you a good writer. You are a good story-teller!
Teresa Ryan2 years ago
Teresa Ryan
Harry- excellent-felt like I was right there !
Kara2 years ago
Great story Harry, I could picture everything as you described..
Yves2 years ago
Hi Harry,
Nicely done. You certainly put us in the situation with this story. I look forward to reading more stories.
Yves
Michael2 years ago
Nice to read in now with almost summer weather! Brings back memories of other winters. Good story.