Patrick Paul was 10-years-old when he was sent to St. Eugene鈥檚 residential school in Cranbrook in 1955, two years after his grandparents who raised him had died.
鈥淚 used to call them mom and dad because that鈥檚 what I first come to remember them,鈥� said the 76-year-old Syilx veteran.
鈥淢y mother and step-father, they went down in the States to work there. There was no work up here at that time, so they were travelling around鈥orking in whatever they could find.鈥�
Born in 麻豆精选 in 1945, Paul鈥檚 grandparents took it upon themselves to raise him. He lived with them in Westbank, attending Westbank Elementary School until grade two.
鈥�(My parents) were going to take me down when I was still a baby,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut my grandmother didn鈥檛 want them to drag me around all over there, so she said she would take care of me and told them to go do whatever they want to do.鈥�
When his grandparents died, he joined his parents in the U.S., missing a year of school in the process.
鈥淎n Indian Agent found out at that time, so they tracked us down and said I had to go to residential school,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey had no choice but to send me there. Either that or go to jail, I guess.鈥�
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During his three years at St. Eugene鈥檚, he described the overall experience at the school as 鈥渞ough鈥� and 鈥渢errible.鈥�
鈥淭hey were mean over there. A lot of kids 鈥� especially the little ones 鈥� they were badly treated there,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat wasn鈥檛 a very good time over there.鈥�
Fortunately, he said that he didn鈥檛 experience abuse while at St. Eugene鈥檚.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one good thing. I wouldn鈥檛 let them do that to me. But other kids were, smaller ones,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here were some there that were maybe five years old, not old enough to go to school yet 鈥� yet they took them in there.鈥�
In 1958, he was transferred to Kamloops Indian Residential School. In comparison to St. Eugene鈥檚, life at the Kamloops school 鈥渨asn鈥檛 too bad.鈥�
鈥淏ut still, you鈥檙e away from home. You鈥檝e got no family. When you go there, you鈥檙e pretty much on your own all the time,鈥� he said.
After six years in the residential school system, Paul returned to Westbank when he was 16-years-old, where he attended George Pringle High School.
Transitioning into the public school system, he said, was not easy.
鈥淚 was so used to 鈥� when you鈥檙e in a residential school, it鈥檚 just like being in a 鈥� you鈥檙e told where to go, what to do one day,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t was sort of institutionalized that way. To go to the public school 鈥� you鈥檙e quite lost for a while.鈥�
Shortly after turning 17, he ended up joining the British Columbia Dragoons while at George Pringle, which he said was a better fit for him than the public school system.
鈥淚t was quite interesting because being an armoured division, we got to train on armoured personnel carriers and tanks,鈥� he said.
鈥淎t the time, there were these old Sherman Tanks. I drove those. Being young, I thought it was quite cool. It was a lot of fun.鈥�
He spent a year splitting his time between Vernon and 麻豆精选 as a member of the Dragoons.
As soon as he turned 18, he applied for the Canadian Army, taking inspiration from his grandfather, Angus Tompson, who helped raise him after serving in the First World War.
鈥淭hat stuck in my mind all through my school years. So when I turned 18, I made up my mind I wanted to join the Army or any other service I could take,鈥� he said.
He initially applied to be a member of the navy but was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia鈥檚 Canadian Light Infantry. Basic training took him to Edmonton, Alta., while field training was completed in Wainwright, Alta. After graduating, he was assigned to the airborne company within the 2nd Battalion.
鈥淭hey trained us in every aspect of what an infantryman can do. First was the parachute training 鈥� that was the main one. Then there was the driver鈥檚 course 鈥� driving trucks, jeeps and whatnot,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hatever the military had at the time鈥� Pioneering courses where you learn how to defuse booby traps and how to make booby traps too.鈥�
He estimates he learned to drive about seven or eight different military vehicles, which included trucks, jeeps and tanks.
In his last year, he learned to drive an armoured personnel carrier.
鈥淭hat was my favourite part, somewhere where I didn鈥檛 have to walk. We did a lot of that,鈥� he said.
Driving the equipment, he continued, was the most rewarding part of his military experience.
鈥淏ecause later in life, that鈥檚 what I did. It led me to driving trucks and heavy equipment,鈥� he said.
By the time he was 21, Paul decided to leave the Army, a decision he regrets when he looks back on it.
鈥淚 expected to go overseas and do something over there. But our battalion just got back on rotation from Germany,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he next time we鈥檙e on rotation to go there was about four or five years down the road.鈥�
After leaving the military in 1966, Paul spent the next few years working a number of different trade and labour-intensive jobs in construction and operating heavy equipment.
He returned to Westbank in 1978, where he worked at a sawmill until 1985.
Despite only serving three years in the military, he said that he鈥檚 proud of what he did, calling the experience a good one that helped build character.
And although he never served overseas, he said he still takes the time to honour those who died in combat on Remembrance Day.
鈥淚 honour the guys that really paid the price for us. The people in the First World War, Second World War and Korea 鈥� some of our people paid the price for that,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 honour them for that; for their bravery.鈥�
Nowadays, he said he tries to teach the younger generation to do the same.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 forget them because they鈥檙e the ones who first made this country what it is.
鈥淪ometimes, I think people take advantage of that 鈥� 鈥業 have a right to do this鈥� and 鈥楢 right to do that,鈥欌�� he said.
鈥淏ut it was soldiers back then who paid the price so you can do that. I honour them greatly. I really do.鈥�
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