The hero draws inspiration from the virtue of his ancestors.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832

Heroes Of The Upper Ottawa Valley

by

Wayne Laporte (Pontiac County)

Did you know that our little corner of the world – Westmeath, LaPasse, Pembroke, Fort Coulonge, Mansfield, and Davidson – has an outstanding number of military heroes?

All of these men gave so much to their countries and to us, yet we rarely ever hear about them. Schools don't make it a point to enrich our young people with their stories or accomplishments.

What is the matter with us? You ask most people who Rambo is and they can tell you. Ask them about local heroes, and they don't have a clue. If the Americans had heroes such as these, you would find mile-high billboards stretched from here to Ottawa outlining their accomplishments.

I think that we should make it a point to tell our children about the heroes in our own communities. I made that resolution lately, and I have told these stories to my children. They seem so grateful that I took the time to sit down with them and explain about these great heroes and their exploits and accomplishments.

I believe that by giving our children real heroes -- local heroes -- they discover worthy and real role models, not just phony ones on television and video games.

We at www.ottawavalley.ca warmly invite you to add to this collection of local heroes. Heroes can be police men and women, firemen, and others who have acted in an outstanding way in the service of their fellow man.

You may do so by e-mailing us at sher@ottawavalley.ca

Wayne Laporte
Editor

 

Ronny Bowes - Flying Hero - >Story

 

 

Wing Commander Carl "Moose" Fumerton.

Carl was raised in Fort-Coulonge.  He joined the Royal Canadian Air force as a fighter pilot.

Carl has the distinction of having the most night kills of any fighter pilot. He is credited with 14 kills, and one other reported as “heavily damaged.”

Carl was shot down twice during this time, and they say he survived mainly as a result of his exceptional flying skills. Once he was shot in the leg, and still managed to survive the crash landing.

In 2004, when Carl was 91 years of age, he was honored by the military. A huge Sea King helicopter landed in Huntsville, where Carl now resides, and paid homage to him. You can find details about Carl Fumerton at the following web site. (scroll down) >here

 

 

Hailan John Laporte  

Hailan was a member of the 1st Special Forces! Yes the famous Devil's Brigade!   Hailan was killed in action at Anzio, February 3rd, 1944 by enemy fire while parachuting to the ground.

The 1st Special Forces were created to take on the impossible tasks behind enemy lines. They incurred heavy casualties wherever they went as a result of their difficult tasks, and were disbanded in 1945 for that reason. The 1st special forces were comprised of Canadian and American soldiers.  They wore the American uniform, and carried American weapons. Their insignia was a vertical red arrow with USA written at the top horizontally, and Canada written vertically. This patch was worn on one shoulder of all uniforms. Crossed arrows were also worn.

The name Devil's Brigade was applied to the 1st Special Forces as a result of diary found on a dead German soldier's body. It said “ We cannot make it to the lines, the black devils are here, and we can't see them or hear them”.

To be eligible to join the 1st Special Forces one had to be a lumberjack, a fire ranger, surveyor, or anything similar.  The 1st Special Forces had the most intensive commando training ever devised. They had to be able to ski, swim, parachute, and absorb all of the excruciating elements that mother nature could throw at them. They were forever immortalized in the movie “ The Devil's Brigade” More can be found at the following web site: >here

 

Carl Bertrand

Carl joined the Royal Canadian Air force as a jet fighter pilot and retired as a Brigadier General.

Carl was born and raised in Davidson PQ and currently resides part time in Ottawa, and in Davidson PQ.

Carl flew the old generation Saber jets, Voodoos, and others types. Carl had many harrowing experiences in those earlier jets, and was considered one of the best of the best. Hey, how else do you get to be a General in the military?

And who can forget Carl, zooming overhead in our little community at break-neck speed. My what thrills he gave us!  He was the talk of the town for weeks after. All of us younger guys would be fighting among ourselves trying to out-talk each other on what we had seen Carl do. 

Carl still flies a home-made aircraft that he assembled himself. What accomplishments!

 

 

Jim Gervais

 

Jim left LaPasse and joined the Royal Military College in Royal Roads B.C. where he graduated as a military officer.

Jim was to many of us a boyhood friend. We all remember his easy going good nature and determination to succeed.  And God how he did!

Jim retired as a Lt. General in the Canadian military, and once was in command of all ground forces in Canada.  He also served on the Governor General of Canada's staff.

 

 

Laurent Pare and  Lawrence Perry,

These two Pare/Perry boys from this area with similar names were both killed in action during WW11.

When word arrived in Fort Coulonge that a Pare/Perry had been killed in action, both families and the community wondered which of the two it was.  

It turned out that both were killed. Incredibly it appears, on the very same day.

 

 

Lorney Romain

Lorney served as a Sargent in the Canadian Army. He was overseas for two years.

Lorney fought his way into Germany, and then applied for voluntary service on the Japanese front. As he was sailing for Japan the war was abruptly ended by the atomic bomb.

Lorney tells of the scary experiences he endured on the high seas as the ships encountered storm after storm. He now resides in Buffalo NY. He is now an American citizen.

 

 

Orville Lavigne, Ted Colton, and Ray Miron are also from the Upper Ottawa Valley. 

Some day I would like to meet their folks and get their stories. If anyone knows more about them, please let us know. sher@ottawavalley.ca

Your Story here . . .

Canada's Military Heroes killed in the service of their country in recent months.

>Fallen Canadians

Heroes -- “In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who have never achieved this title. Do not lose your knowledge that man's proper estate is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours.” Ayn Rand, 1905-1982 (Russian-born American writer and author of Atlas Shrugged)