A Legacy

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

I thought you all might enjoy this...

Remembrance Day every day for Dickson

By STEPHEN THORNE


OTTAWA (CP) - The most lasting lesson Canada's most decorated living warrior gave Master Cpl. Bud Dickson came over a scotch at 5 a.m. on a hotel balcony in Sicily five years ago.

Dickson was getting dressed when a knock came on his hotel room door in Catania, a seaside town on the Mediterranean where Canadian veterans of the Second World War were gathered to commemorate the Italian Campaign's 55th anniversary. Dickson opened the door and there stood Ernest (Smoky) Smith, the last living winner of the Victoria Cross. Dickson was his aide-de-camp.

"Come here, Bud, I've got something to show you," Smith said.

Dickson finished dressing and went to Smith's room. The door was ajar and Dickson walked in, calling Smith's name.

"Out here," came the reply. And there sat Smith on the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, two of his beloved scotches on the table in front of him.

Dickson sat, still a bit confused. The sun was just cresting the horizon to the east.

"What's going on, Smoky?" he asked.

"Nothin'," said the then-85-year-old veteran. "I just wanted you to come over and watch the sunrise."

So Bud Dickson, then a 33-year-old signaller in the Canadian Forces, and Smoky Smith, who has probably seen more war than all present-day Canadian soldiers put together, sat back, sipped their scotches and watched a spectacular sunrise.

They barely spoke a word.

About 10 minutes passed. By now, the sun was big blazing orange ball. To this day, Dickson says he will never forget the words Smith spoke.

"Try to do this as often as you can," said Smith, who used to kill enemy troops with a half-metre-long, Indian-style warclub bristling with nails.

"You never know when your last sunrise is going to be."

Part of the Canadian Forces Information Operations Group, Dickson has been to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Haiti.

But his greatest deployments have been to the now-peaceful battlefields of France, Belgium and Italy with Smith, the impish little fireball who singlehandedly fought off several German tanks and dozens of troops one fateful night in October 1944.

For nine years now, Dickson has followed Smith wherever he's gone, providing security, a calming voice and a listening ear. When they're together, every day is Remembrance Day.

At 90, Smith is wheelchair-bound, so it is Dickson who wheels him up to the cenotaphs in places like Vimy, Normandy, Cassino and Agira and it is Dickson who places wreaths on Smith's behalf.

Dickson, the son of a soldier of the fabled Black Watch from Chatham, N.B., was first assigned to Smith on a trip to Europe, after Canada's best-known veteran was bumped and jostled by a crowd of admirers.

It was Dickson's job to ensure there was a square metre of space around Smith at all times - no mean task.

Dickson is a traditionalist. At 38, he's a fiercely loyal man, practising old-time values that some veterans might think have gone by the wayside in this fast-paced, consumer-crazy world of today.

The two hit it off and Smith has requested Dickson ever since. Dickson doesn't call his work with Smith a "job," but a "24-7 honour."

The pair have become so close they have developed a kind of unspoken, intuitive form of communication not unlike that of a married couple.

"One of the things I do is watch his eyes and watch his facial expressions. He'll give you the answer 'I'm OK, I'm good to go.' But I can see it when he's getting a bit tense and this is getting a bit much for him."

Theirs is not a father-son relationship, but rather that of two soldiers, old and young, who have seen a lot - one much more than the other. They are friends bonded by the uniform that one still wears and the other does not.

"Professionally, I have great, great respect for the man, not only because he's won the Victoria Cross and he's done what he's done" said Dickson.

"But the actual man behind the medal is such a nice gentleman. He's so respectful and values honesty and integrity so much."

Quick-witted and razor sharp, Smith is constantly approached by strangers for photographs, autographs or just to talk.

He loves children and Dickson said he speaks of life "in a grand scale." He cherishes little things like a pat on the hand from a child, a kiss from a beautiful woman.

Or a sunrise over the Mediterranean.

"Try to do this as often as you can," said Smith, who used to kill enemy troops with a half-metre-long, Indian-style warclub bristling with nails.

"You never know when your last sunrise is going to be."

I like the above attitude.
The above little exerpt I pulled out especially touched me on THIS particular day for personal reasons. Remembering ... to live while you're alive. Good timing for this post Geoff Synchronicity.

This whole story is extremely moving. I regret that I didn't get to meet Smokey when I had the chance. I didn't know who he IS ... at the time. Didn't know the history or signifigance. I'm sure I would have learned a lot.

Karmen

[JD Baillie]

Thanks for that Geoff.

JD