I believe that to heal, we must accept our wounds.
Georges Vanier was one of Canada’s most celebrated warriors. He was a founding member of the 22nd (French-Canadian) Infantry Battalion, one of the battalions established for French-speaking soldiers, known in English Canada as the “Van Doos.”
Vanier lost his right leg to amputation in 1918 after being hit by a shell. He lived with his wounds. In a lifetime dedicated to the service of Canada in the military, as a diplomat and finally as governor general, his infirmity appeared to become his strength.
– Viveka Melki
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Optical crystal
“The shattered soldier – his mind and body, tormented forever in the aftermath of war.”
– Mark Raynes Roberts
Olfactory Memory
“In a military hospital, odours of camphor and antiseptic float in the air and give way to healing of the body and the mind.”
– Alexandra Bachand
Georges Vanier (1888-1867)
“Georges Vanier ended his life in the highest office in the land – as Canada’s Governor General. He was a young lawyer when the First World War was declared in 1914, with a freshly minted degree from the Université Laval. He enlisted as an officer and helped to organize the 22nd (French-Canadian) Infantry Battalion, the regiment established for French-speaking soldiers.”
– Alexander Reford