North Wall.

This is coolbert:

“Canada … took a pass on Vietnam”

Well, not exactly!! The government of Canada might have taken a pass - - but NOT all Canadians did!!

This surprises a lot of people? The Northern Wall. A monument to those Canadians that DID serve with U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. A number of which were killed, KIA.

Canadian Vietnam Memorial ~ "The North Wall".

"Canadian veterans - - During the Vietnam era, more than 30,000 Canadians served in the US armed forces . . . approximately 12,000 of these personnel actually served in Vietnam. Most of these were natives of Canada who lived in the United States."

Furthermore:

"110 Canadians died in Vietnam and seven are listed as missing in action."

Contrast those figure of Canadians willing to serve in the American military during the Vietnam era with the number of those AMERICANS that were not willing to serve, many escaping conscription [the military draft] by fleeing to Canada.

"The numbers of draft US conscientious objectors, draft dodgers and deserters that went to Canada is estimated to be between 30,000 and 70,000 by most authorities."

And consider this Canadian, Peter C. Lemon, [man was born Canadian and was a U.S. citizen at the time of his heroics] WHO WON THE MEDAL OF HONOR [MoH] for bravery in Vietnam!

That Canadians should serve in the U.S. military or to find Americans among the ranks of the Canadian armed forces surprises? Consider that during the two World Wars:

"over 35,000 Americans joined the Canadian Army during World War 1 (recall that Canada was fighting the war from 1914 to 1917 before America became involved)."

"in World War II, some 30,000 Americans . . . joined the Canadian forces during the period 1939 to 1941 while the United States was still neutral."

Consider this too! The size of the Canadian military is rather small, only in the tens of thousands. During the Vietnam War, at any given moment, the number of Canadians wearing an American military uniform was pretty substantial compared to the number of Canadians wearing the uniform of their own [Canadian] armed forces!!

I would guess, offhand, too, that those Canadians soldiering for the U.S. were probably of superior quality, made good fighting men, and performed their duty in an admirable fashion.

coolbert.