For over half a century combined, Jim McGrath and his son, Vance, have served in the military.
“Technically I would say that Vance has been in the military all his life,” Jim said. “We dragged him around from base to base and then when I retired, he did another 28 years in the military.”
Jim joined the military in 1959 and over twenty years later, he accompanied his son to the recruiting office.
“Dad took me down just to check it out and I ended up signing up and joining,” Vance said. “I went to boot camp and my first posting was in Greenwood, Nova Scotia.”
The McGraths share unique bonds, both as father and son and as comrades in arms, sharing not only a family history but a military tradition.
“We can sit down and talk about our experiences or just share a beer together and just nod our heads and say, ‘yeah I know what happened and you know I support you for that,'” Vance said.
The younger McGrath followed closely in his father’s footsteps.
“I came back to visit the base and he was sitting behind my desk, doing my job,” Jim said. “We did the same thing basically throughout our careers, and we retired the same rank.”
Now, years later, the two stand together to remember.
“The significance of the day is not only for us, it’s for all the service members, to pay our respects to them,” Jim said. “It’s a special honour for me to be able to do it with my son, as most people would understand that I look forward to that.”
Both agree that Remembrance Day is a time to reflect and educate a younger generation. When asked if they would do it all again, the two shared a similar answer.
“I’m glad he took me down to the recruiting office and I don’t regret any of it at all,” Vance said.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the best things a person can do,” Jim added. “I enjoyed it and if I had to live my life over again, I would do the same thing. I would definitely go back into the military.”