Military officer visits Connaught School to spread importance of honouring all Canada’s veterans

By Tim Kalinowski on December 8, 2017.

tkalinowski@medicinehatnews.com @MHNTimKal

Master Warrant Officer Patrice Masse, who serves as the food services officer at CFB Suffield, spoke Thursday with Connaught School Grade 5 students about the importance of honouring veterans.

He also shared many stories about his 32 years of service in the Canadian military: A career ranging from working with artillery units to try to clear avalanche hazards from around the Rogers Pass, to helping out during the 1998 ice storms in Quebec, to serving overseas on U.N. Peacekeeping and NATO missions in war-torn areas.

Masse said he had two important messages for Connaught students.

“I want to express to these students the importance of honouring all veterans, no matter which era they served in,” Masse told the News. “And I wanted to speak about how this is a great career and a good opportunity for young people.

“There is a lot who don’t understand about the military, what we are doing and what it means to live your life in the military. I want to show these kids all the different opportunities you can have in this career, and all the places you can go.”

While Masse is planning on spending Christmas at home this year, with military service he is always prepared to pack up and deploy wherever needed at a moment’s notice. Masse has spent a few past Christmases on deployment overseas, and said on Thursday he was thinking about his fellow soldiers in the same situation this year.

“It is very difficult to be on tour over Christmas time,” explained Masse. “It is difficult because your family is away. The comfort that people are thinking about you is very important. Receiving letters from kids appreciating what you do, or getting a care package to remind you of home, these are very uplifting for a soldier that’s away from home at Christmas.”

Masse planned on asking Connaught students to take a moment to think about the soldiers on deployment this holiday season, and he hoped many other Hatters would do the same.

“Even just a little note of thank-you warms a soldier’s heart,” he said.

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