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On February 23rd 1942,
Harry joined the lineup of other young men at No. 3 Manning
Base in Edmonton, Alberta, to fill in a two-page enlistment
application. His signature was applied in the appropraite
space, and it was home again to wait for the call to service.
What motivated boys like
Harry to enlist? The adventure of war was a likely aspect,
the opportunity to do things and see things that would never
be possible staying at home. No doubt there was an
undercurrent of social pressure that might have made Harry
feel uneasy each time he heard the report of a Vulcan family
suffering the loss of a son or husband. When boys are 19,
they feel immortal. They lack the wisdom of age to accurately
assess the risks. Yet, in the end it was likely a sense of
duty that motivated most boys to accept a role for which they
were never intended - it was a chance to make a contribution with
their young lives that no one else was able to make.
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RCAF Application page 1- Edmonton
RCAF Application page 2- Edmonton