This Remembrance Day Ray Carlson will be thinking about his time peacekeeping in the Gaza Strip.
Carlson was stationed in Rafah in south Gaza, near the border with Egypt, from September 1959 to August 1960. He said their objective then was to prevent any fighting between Israel and Egypt, which was then occupying the Gaza Strip.
“They kind of drew a line in the sand and said Israelis you stay here, Egyptians here. We had a light armoured regiment, the Royal Canadian Dragoons, who patrolled that DMZ,” Carlson, 87, said. “My role there was a weapons technician, so we kept everyone’s weapons working. We were a multi-national force with people from India, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Yugoslavia. We were called UNEF 1.”
Carlson first joined the army “at the tender age of 16” in December of 1952. Coming out of orphanages and foster homes, he said he was looking for a place to belong.
Serving in the army taught him discipline and a sense of purpose, something he needed as a young man. Carlson attempted to become an army mechanic but ultimately became a weapons technician instead.
READ MORE: Carlson: ‘Blessed to have been there’
“They used to call us boy soldiers but we were what they called apprentice soldiers. We’d join the army, do our basic training and then you’d learn a skill,” Carlson said. “I wanted to be an auto mechanic but I guess I should have been first in line and grabbed the other application. I always make the comment, when I got out of the army, that the mafia wouldn’t hire me so my weapons training was no good.”
Carlson spent several years serving in military bases across Canada, including in Jericho Beach right beside Vancouver where there were “bright lights and blonde-haired women.” When he was told he’d be joining a peacekeeping mission in the Middle East, Carlson welcomed the opportunity with open arms.
“I had an opportunity to see how other people in the world lived,” Carlson said. “You didn’t get the chance to delve into the lives of individuals, but you could still (see everyday life).”
While serving in Rafah Carlson said UN Peacekeepers used to regularly travel into Gaza City to visit bars and buy supplies. Back then it was nothing like it is today, with Carlson remarking with a chuckle its size reminded him of 100 Mile House.
“There wasn’t anything more than two-story buildings. We’d go to the town, have a few pops and I’d do some shopping to send stuff back home to my wife,” Carlson said.
Carlson added that they lived in tents back at the base for the entire year, which probably explains why he’s not a big fan of camping to this day. That being said the chance to visit Cairo, Alexandria, the Holy Land, Damascus in Syria and Beirut in Lebanon made the experience a real education.
The posting wasn’t without risks, however. Carlson said every now and then trucks from the convoy would come back with parts blown off by landmines. While he was there a peacekeeper was killed in the night by a “trigger-happy” Egyptian sentry, which was a sad day.
While Carlson initially planned to become a career soldier, he left in 1963 at the rank of corporal. He said the way to get ahead wasn’t based on merit but instead on seniority and much as he loved the army, he wanted more out of life. Leaving he returned home to B.C. where he ran several businesses and became mayor of 100 Mile House from 1990 to 1996.
Meanwhile, the UN Peacekeeping forces in Gaza left in 1967 by order of the Egyptian government. As they withdrew Israel started the Six Day War on June 5, 1967, attacking Egyptian and Jordanian forces, ultimately taking control of Gaza, the Golan Heights, the Sinai Peninsula and the West Bank.
Israel occupied and administered the Gaza Strip for decades until the Second Intifada from 2000 to 2005 led to their withdrawal from the territory. The militant group Hamas later staged a coup against Fatah and has effectively controlled Gaza since 2007, using it as a base to attack Israel with rockets.
On October 7 of this year, Hamas carried out its most deadly attack to date, sending hundreds of militants into Israel who killed thousands of civilians and kidnapped at least 200. In response, Israel has launched airstrikes and a ground invasion into Gaza that is still ongoing as of the writing of this article. Its outcome remains uncertain.
Carlson said that it’s hard for him not to empathize with the Israeli side of the conflict.
That being said, Carlson feels it’s improper for those who don’t live in the region to pick sides in the current conflict. If his time peacekeeping taught him anything it’s that we’re lucky to live in a conflict-free country like Canada.
“It’s pretty hard when you’re into my age and you see what’s going on (in the world). You think ‘it wasn’t like that in those days’. Were there terrorist organizations in those days? Probably, the seeds were probably planted but I think the biggest problem is no one wears uniforms there,” Carlson said. “There’s no if I see you in uniform I get to shoot you and vice versa.”
This Remembrance Day Carlson encourages the community to attend a ceremony and keep in mind those who have fought for peace around the world. Supporting the local Legion and veterans is the best way to repay the service he and so many others gave our country.
