the Big Welcome to
Civie Street. The couple decided to move over to Canada, where his wife soon became homesick and wanted to move back home
to here native Ireland…However they moved back to England, where Canada did the full works… He managed to buy
a home and secure a well paid job, unfortunately the marriage did not work out, and a bitter divorce was soon to follow.
Canada, not only lost his wife and home he had also his job and money was in short supply to say the least…
he soon found his best mate was the "Booze" Late one evening Canada found himself in a back Street pub in Lancashire, where
he was trying to make his pint last forever… He got talking to a man in the pub who said he was an Ex Para, yeah, yeah
heard it all before mate… there is always one who’s been there and done that typical "Walter". Canada began to
chat to him, nothing else to do and the guy was buying drinks, he asked him the ONLY A PARA WOULD KNOW THE ANSWER TO QUESTIONS
… and it turned out this guy was in fact Ex Airborne… Seeing that Canada was down on his luck, he bought him a
fish supper and gave him ten quid to help out… (a lot of money way back then) This only goes to show, that Airborne
Brothers do in fact look after their own…There is more to this story to show, this unique bond…
Canada unfortunately carried on drinking for a while… he knew his life was pretty grim, he had sold
most of his belongs to pay for drink… and sadly the one thing that he had left that he was proud of… was the thing
that would bring him back to his senses . He looked at his AB SMOCK and gave it to a mate to look after… (for obvious
reasons we can not name Canada’s mate, so we will call him Buddy..)
Take care of this Buddy until I manage to get my life together… the one thing I am proud of is the
fact that I was a Paratrooper and I also know this is no way for an Ex Para to conduct his life.
Canada woke up one morning, with a hangover to end all hangovers and thought shit, I have got to do something
now. So off he went to do a summer job in Blackpool, where he saved hard and fought hard to stay off the booze. Come the end
of the season he had just enough money to get back home to Canada. So off he went, still no money just the airfare, but a
least he had contacts there and soon he found a job… So with a bit of money in his pocket life was looking up, but money
meant he could also afford the booze again… Then something happened, he met a lovely lady, who had fallen in love with
him… but she could not cope with the drink problems so quite simple she said " Me or the Booze" Thankfully Canada saw
there was no contest and the lady won… He gave up on the booze and finally got his life back on the road of happiness…
where they both are today: Living in North Canada, by the lake fishing hunting and the love of a good woman Life is good…
Now for the final and most moving bit of this story: This year at the 2Para Reunion in Blackpool, Canada
was to receive a wonderful surprise… The DJ asked for Canada to come onto the stage, thinking he was going to be asked
to do the Famous Zulu Warrior Dance or something similar… Canada rushed over to the stage: Where he was greeted by his
mate Buddy holding his AB SMOCK, to say that Canada was blown away is putting it lightly: After all this time, his mate had
kept his promise and the SMOCK was returned to its rightful and proud owner… Now to end this story Canada would like
to add this personal message for other Airborne Brothers….
"Never be to proud to ask for help, especially from another Brother and if that Brother can not help he will find one that
can… At the end of the day" We have got each other and the kind of loyal friendship and unique bond that can only be
found in the regiment …. Be Proud that you have been a Para and never be too proud to ask for help… I wish you
all blue Skies and would like to say Thanks to Buddy and my lovely lady Canada…
