Honourand Care Spring 2018 A Blessed Life By Peter McKinnon everal birthday cards adorn Edith Goodspeed’s room at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, marking her recent birthday. “This was Snumber 99,” she says with a smile, “for all my future birthdays, I won’t count any higher…I’ll just stay 99.” Edith has certainly earned the right to lie about her age. As a Nursing Sister in England during the Second World War, she experienced the horrors of Nazi bombing and helped countless soldiers recover enough to return home or back into battle. She later raised three children and today is blessed with seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Born in 1919 as the second child of a farm family in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Edith Mary Ferrall was named after her aunt. Edith’s father died before she was three; her mother sold the farm and raised Edith and her brother Arthur in Cypress River, Manitoba. “My parents both worked hard and did a lot for the community,” she recalls. Edith Goodspeed “I remember Dad organizing baseball games and inviting the players home See page 2 Ted Griffiths’ Journey of Reconciliation Contents By Peter McKinnon 3 Women and Strength 6 Daniel Clapin column ajor (ret'd) Edmund (Ted) Griffiths, CD, now spends much of his time 7 The People of Beechwood reading, chatting with fellow Veterans and other residents of the Perley 14 Once a Runner, Always a Runner Mand Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, and visiting with his family: a 15 Ottawa Race Weekend daughter, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. After a lifetime of service to Canada, including horrific hand-to-hand combat during the Second 16 Akos Hoffer column World War, he is finally at peace. A Lifetime of Giving Back 17 Ted was born in 1922 in London, Ontario. His father, a Veteran of World War I, 18 Night At The Races decided to immigrate to England, leading to separation and divorce. Ted’s 20 Memorial Tributes mother raised him, making ends meet through a combination of cleaning, dressmaking and teaching piano. At the age of 14, Ted joined the Non- Permanent Militia – also known as the Saturday night soldiers. Shortly after Canada declared war on Germany, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Regiment. See page 4 afterwards for some of Mom’s homemade cake.” After high school, Edith trained as a nurse at Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg and upon graduation took a job with the city’s public-health department. Like many young people, she applied to serve the war effort soon after Germany invaded Poland. Edith finally got the call on in 1943 and served at military hospitals in Winnipeg and in Brandon, where one day she was assigned to care for a brash young officer named Donald Goodspeed. Edith Goodspeed with her three children “He had broken his ankle while training followed soon afterwards and touched to see mothers making to drive a motorcycle at night saw action in Italy, Holland and beds for their children in the with no lights on,” says Edith. “He Germany. subway, where they would had already served overseas and When Edith learned that they go every night to avoid Nazi returned to Canada to earn his wouldn’t send married nurses to 1944 bombing. Despite these commission. He was a difficult the front lines, she was bitterly experiences, however: “I don’t patient, though, because he disappointed. Nazi bombing remember ever feeling afraid,” she wouldn’t stay in bed.” raids, however, soon brought the says, “we knew we were going to As a Nursing Sister, Edith front to her doorstep. During one win.” outranked Donald and threatened attack, a huge bomb fell into the After the war, Donald to put him on charge if he didn’t courtyard of the Surrey hospital completed a degree at Queen’s behave. She also convinced him to where she worked. University, then re-enlisted and eat his vegetables. Six weeks later, “Thankfully, it didn’t explode, the family lived on various bases they married. because many of us might have across Canada and around the “It was an exciting time, been killed,” Edith says. “I was in world, including a 14-month stint with troops moving in and out the hallway and all of the lights at Defence Services Staff College constantly, and we never knew were off because of the raid. I in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, India. how long anyone would be heard the whistling as the bomb The couple raised three children around,” says Edith. fell, and then the thud as it hit – a girl and two boys – and Shortly after their wedding, the ground. Some soldiers came settled in Ottawa, near Canadian Edith was posted to England and quickly and defused it.” Forces Base Rockcliffe. Edith served at various hospitals for Edith visited London several worked as a nurse first at the Base the duration of the war. Donald times during the war and was hospital, then at the Base school. 2 • Honour and Care • Spring 2018 Donald became a distinguished couldn’t get away with anything.” and grandchildren in Niagara- military historian; he taught at Soon after Maureen, the on-the-Lake. Her daughter later Carleton University, wrote several eldest, left home, Donald convinced her to move back to books and eventually retired accepted a job with Brock Ottawa, where she continued as a Lieutenant Colonel. Both University and the family moved to live independently until her volunteered: Edith taught home to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The health began to fail. nursing to Girl Guides, awarding children went on to successful She has been impressed by merit badges to those who passed careers: Maureen in the public the staff at Perley Rideau, and the test, while Donald served on service; Peter as a foreign attends church services and the Parent Teacher Association. correspondent with the Toronto exercise classes regularly. “It was a tight-knit Star; and Michael as an author “I’ve been very lucky to have community,” recalls daughter and officer in the Canadian such a blessed life,” she says Maureen Goodspeed. “Everyone Forces. After Donald passed away, simply. HC knew one another and we Edith regularly hosted children Women and Strength ore than 120 people Veterans Lt.-Col. (ret'd) gathered for high tea Jessie Chenevert (left) in the Perley Rideau and Connie Taylor (right) M th cafeteria on March 6 as part proudly wear their of International Women’s Day handmade shawls as they flank Cadet Commandant celebrations. The event honoured Chief Warrant Officer the 44 female Veterans who live Julie Bégin. in the Health Centre or in the apartments. Each Veteran was presented with a handmade shawl – described during the event as a Wonder Woman Cape – sponsored by attendees. Members A cadet presents of Cadet Corps 2644, The Hull a gift from Rear- Admiral Bennett to Regiment served tea at tables Veteran and Perley adorned with placemats created Rideau resident by students of local elementary Hilda Bowley. schools in partnership with The Memory Project. The event also featured speeches from: Rear- Admiral Jennifer Bennett, Defence Champion for Women; Elizabeth Longtime Perley Stuart, Assistant Deputy Minister, Rideau Foundation Veterans Affairs Canada; and Major supporter Grete Hale at (Ret’d) Sandra Perron, Author and the inaugural Foundation Board Member. The International gathering was such a success that Women’s Day High it will become an annual event. Tea. Spring 2018 • Honour and Care • 3 Ted Griffiths’ Journey of Reconciliation ... continued from page 1 Ted went on to achieve Infantry Division. The Germans service. After dinner, an officer considerable success: he served created nearly impregnable ordered Ted to report to the in the Second World War and obstacles; they destroyed buildings commander of the platoon his tank Korean War, retiring as a major and arranged the rubble so that crew would support the following in the 1960s. He married, raised invaders would have to advance morning. As Ted notes wryly in his a daughter and published his through narrowed streets lined memoirs: “Had I known what the memoirs. As a civilian, Ted was with snipers and countless next hour would bring, I would executive assistant to Justice mined booby-traps. So intense have stayed for a second helping of dinner.” Ted picked his way cautiously through the rubble-strewn streets in pitch darkness – the two sides avoided fighting after sunset because it was impossible to tell friend from foe. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he ducked behind a wall: it was a Nazi soldier – Ted had somehow wandered behind German lines. Instantly, Ted understood that firing his pistol would alert other Germans to his presence and he would almost certainly be killed. So he drew his commando knife and used it to silently kill the soldier. The killing haunted him – and his Ted Griffiths Sterling Green Christmas spirit – for decades. After Ortona, Ted was sent to Minister John Turner, who were the eight days of house-to- England for additional training. later became Canada’s 17th house fighting that Ortona was At a dance, he met the woman Prime Minister. Despite these dubbed “Little Stalingrad,” for its he would marry: a Nursing Sister accomplishments, however, Ted resemblance to the definitive by the name of Sterling Green, struggled for years with the trauma battle of the Eastern Front. The who was haunted by the abuse he had experienced during the Canadians would eventually chase she had suffered in foster homes. Battle of Ortona. As a tank gunner, the Germans from the city at They eventually had one child – a Ted contributed to a key Allied tremendous cost: more than 500 daughter – and became a military victory and fought through some Canadians killed and 1,800 injured family, moving every few years.