Soldiers Get Celebrity Treatment in Remote Canadian Town

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jon Soles | A member of the 1635 Royal Canadian Army Cadets reacts after Spc. Timothy Woodbury of Dexter, Maine, gives her a uniform flag patch at the Kapuskasing, Ontario, town hall March 18. Soldiers of the 619th Transportation Company, 812th Transportation Battalion, 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) stopped at the northern Ontario town and were greeted by the townspeople, while on the more than 2,500 convoy from Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Quebec, to Garrison Wainwright.  

KAPUSKASING, ON, CANADA

03.18.2015

Story by Sgt. Jon Soles 

210th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KAPUSKASING, Canada - It is not often that a group of American Soldiers pass through the remote northern Ontario town of Kapuskasing, only 60 miles from rugged, desolate tundra. So when the Soldiers of the 619th Transportation Company, 812th Transportation Battalion stopped here during a more than 2,500-mile cross-country convoy, local townspeople came out to welcome them with open arms.

The small, quaint northern town was a designated stop for a U.S. Army convoy hauling Canadian Army military vehicles and equipment from Base Valcartier in Quebec to Garrison Wainwright in Alberta. The convoy is part of Maple Caravan, a joint exercise that is part of 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Nationwide Move 15.

Because the town is the only stop along the convoy route that is not on a military base, the townspeople of Kapuskasing invited the Soldiers to stay in the public civic center for the night. They were joined by locals who prepared a home-cooked meal for them and brought visitors to meet and greet the Soldiers.

Kapuskasing Mayor Alan Spacek showed up to personally welcome the Soldiers and to share the town's history and military heritage with them.

"We are honored to have the American Soldiers in our town," he said. "We wanted to show them some northern Ontario hospitality. We are close neighbors and we have gone to war together to defend freedom."

During World War I, Kapuskasing was the location of a German prisoner of war camp and, during World War II, the town was a re-fueling point for newly-built military aircraft headed across the Atlantic to Europe. Later, during the Cold War, the town was one of the early-warning sites operated by the U.S. and Canadian armies.

For many, the highlight of the night was a visit from some young 1635 Royal Canadian Army Cadets (RCAC). The 1635 RCAC is made up of cadets who have military ranks, wear uniforms and participate in activities like skiing, fencing and various outdoor expeditions.

The cadets met the Soldiers and asked questions about their uniforms, equipment and the differences between the American and Canadian armies. Some of the cadets appeared in awe of the American Soldiers. The Soldiers gave out uniform patches to the cadets and showed them how to eat Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) and talked about their jobs and training.

"It's kind of hard to believe they came to our small town, almost intimidating," said 15-year-old Amanda Robinson, a sergeant in the 1635 RCAC who wants to serve in the Royal Canadian Army.

Twelve-year-old cadet Casey Ollis said he liked the digital camouflage pattern on the Soldiers' uniforms.

"It's cool that we got to see U.S. Army Soldiers here," Ollis said. "Their uniforms have a different camouflage than the Canadian Army. They seem like they would camouflage in the desert."

"They were very friendly," said Matthew Gagnon, a 14-year-old corporal in the 1635 RCAC. "This experience is even better than one of our expeditions."

Canadian Army Master Warrant Officer Eric Strong, of the Canadian Maneuver Training Center in Alberta, and Staff Sgt. Michael Grant, of the 619th Transportation Company, presented a plaque of appreciation to Spacek for his support of the U.S. and Canadian forces.

Andre Benoit, who served as an infantryman in the Canadian Army from 1966-1969 and now serves as sergeant-at-arms at the Kapuskasing Canadian Legion, also came out to meet the Soldiers and welcome them.

"This is great because we get to see the American Soldiers who have been our allies for so long," he said.

Kapuskasing is just one of the stops along the more than 2,500-mile one-way convoy. It is merely a small spot on the map of Ontario, but the town and its people showed support and appreciation for Canadian and American soldiers in a big way, strengthening the relationship between two allied forces for continued mutual cooperation.

• Date Taken: 03.18.2015
• Date Posted: 03.20.2015 12:27
• Story ID: 157649
• Location: KAPUSKASING, ON, CA