C:\Myfiles\Flypast\Flypast 41-6.Wpd

$C:\Myfiles\Flypast\Flypast 41-6.Wpd$ Volume 41 March 2007 Number 6 http://www.cahs.ca/torontochapter . Canadian Aviation Historical Society This meeting is jointly sponsored by CAHS Toronto Chapter Meeting Toronto Chapter and the Toronto Aerospace March 10, 2006 Museum- All CAHS / TAM members, guests Meeting starts at 1 PM and the public (museum admission payable) are -Under the Glider- welcome to attend. Toronto Aerospace Museum, 65 Carl Hall Refreshments will be served Road, Toronto AAALanding Fee @@@ of $2.00 will be charged to cover meeting expenses Next Meeting March10, 2006 Last Month’s Meeting . 2 Chapter News B March 2007 . 7 Folded Wings . 7 Chapter Elections . 7 Thank You . 8 Wings & Wheels . 8 National Convention . 8 Meeting Dates . 8 Message from the Editor . 8 This month’s meeting: “Beaver Primer” 1 Flypast V. 41 No. 6 Last Month’s Meeting Evacuation Platoon Commander, Operations February Meeting Officer, Hospital Administrator and Adjutant. In 1986, he was posted to CFB Cornwallis, 2005 Disaster Assistance Response Team N.S., and in 1989 he was posted to the (DART) Mission for Earthquake Relief in Canadian Forces Medical School in Borden, Pakistan Ont. In 1992, he was posted to the National Speaker: Capt. (Ret’d) Percy Purpura, CLE, Defence Medical Centre as Administration BA, CD Officer to the Chief of Medical Staff and later Reporter: Gord McNulty as the Personnel Administration Officer. While at NDMC, he deployed to the UN mission in CAHS Toronto Chapter President Howard Bosnia from October 1994 to April 1995 with Malone introduced Capt. (Ret’d) Percy Purpura, the Royal Canadian Dragoons Battle Group and a widely-travelled army officer who deployed was Operations Officer for the Advance with the Disaster Assistance Response Team Surgical Centre. (DART) to Pakistan for earthquake relief in In 1996 Capt. Purpura was posted to 23 October 2005. Capt. Purpura was born in Fort (Hamilton) Medical Company in Hamilton as Erie, Ont., on 23 Oct 1946. He attended the Regular Support Officer. In 1999, he was elementary and secondary school there. In May posted to the Area Surgeon’s Branch in 1965 he joined the militia’s 57 Field Regiment Toronto, and then in 2000 to the Canadian as a gunner and trained on a 105 mm howitzer Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment in Fort Erie. He served six years with the as the Adjutant. In 2005, he was posted back to regiment, attaining the rank of sergeant. During the Area Surgeon’s Office and in October of this time he deployed to Germany for three that year he deployed with DART to Pakistan, months as part of the first militia fly-over serving as Medical Platoon Administration exercise with the Regular Force. He spent one Officer and Patient Evacuation Officer. He year (1971-72) with the Lincoln and Welland redeployed in early December 2005. Capt. Regiment, then released from the militia. During Purpura retired from the CF on 23 October this period, he attended Niagara College in 2006 and resides in Oakville. He currently Welland, completing the Law Enforcement works as a Facilitator at a non-profit job Program. He then attended Notre Dame training centre in Malton. University of Nelson, B.C., and completed a BA Capt. Purpura described the mission in in Sociology in 1972. In 1979, he moved to Pakistan, where he served as part of a 201- Masset, B.C., working with the B.C. person DART deployment, as the highlight of government. While there he became his long army career. He noted that the Commanding Officer of the Masset/Haida Royal Canadian soldiers were proud to represent Canadian Sea Cadet Corps. From Masset, he Canada overseas and were proud to have saved joined the Regular Force Medical Services as an many lives directly. They produced potable officer, completing the Basic Officer Training water and other vital services for the Course in Chilliwack in 1982. earthquake victims and came away from the Capt. Purpura was posted to the Regional mission with an Aincredible good feeling about Surgeon’s Office in Esquimalt in 1982. In 1983 themselves @ as a result of their participation. he was posted to 1 Field Ambulance in Calgary. The people of Pakistan, in turn, were delighted During three years there, he served as that the Canadians were there to help. Capt. Flypast V. 41 No. 6 2 Purpura brought a fine selection of slides, Ukraine to handle the heavy equipment covering the earthquake itself, DART, the air overseas. The Antonov was far more practical support assets, and more. The massive than the alternative, the Canadian Forces earthquake occurred on 8 October 2005, at 8:50 Hercules fleet. It would have required 23 a.m. It measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, with flights of Canadian Forces Hercules transports the epicentre located 105 kilometres north-east to carry the load that the Antonov could handle of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Whole in three flights. There is another problem in villages disappeared when they were buried that only about half the fleet of Hercules is under tons of rock. The casualty toll was ready to fly at any one time. roughly estimated at 86,000 deaths, with 69,000 In explaining the obstacles that hinder the people injured. Roughly four million people instant deployment urged by the news media, were homeless, and about 70 per cent of the Capt. Purpura underlined the complexities of health facilities were destroyed. moving 201 people with tonnes of equipment Capt. Purpura noted that when the earthquake into a hectic military airport at Islamabad that occurred, DART could not be deployed was receiving aircraft from all over the world. immediately because its members are deployed AWhen we flew in, it was just a zoo, @ he across the country, serving in their regular jobs, recalled. Before the team could be deployed to as opposed to being located in a central base. the earthquake zone, supporting infrastructure Shortly after news of the earthquake broke, had to be arranged by a reconnaissance party, Capt. Purpura received a phone call in Toronto consisting of the commanding officer of DART advising him to report to Ottawa the next day as and the senior medical officer, which liaised part of the advance party. In the meantime, with the Pakistan government. They chose to controversy was already brewing in the news assist a village that had been severely damaged, media about the perceived slowness of the and the road leading into it was destroyed. Canadian government’s response to the They had to bulldoze the road before they earthquake after earlier criticism about the could get in. The first group to arrive in the response to the devastating tsunami in south- DARTS contingent were the engineers, who set east Asia. Capt. Purpura noted, however, that up the tents and supporting facilities. Once the the situation was more complicated than base camp was set up, the rest of the team generally realized. Although Canada offered arrived in three flights. The reality is that it all DART to Pakistan, the Pakistanis were took about a week to get up and running. assessing offers of help from around the world, AUnfortunately you can’t do it any faster than and that took some time. that, @ Capt. Purpura noted. AIt’s not that easy to Nonetheless, Canada acted quickly to mobilize move 201 people into a disaster zone. @ DART, and to book flights from CFB Trenton. Capt. Purpura said pleased that the Canadian On 15 October, the Canadians landed in Forces will be receiving the new McDonnell Islamabad. Capt. Purpura was among the initial Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic members of the DART entourage who flew on airlifter, which he understands will be located a Canadian Forces Airbus, which brought them at Trenton. The C-17 will give the Canadian to Croatia, where they refuelled before Forces full independence as opposed to relying proceeding to Islamabad. A mighty Antonov on foreign aircraft. He also noted that the An-225 strategic airlifter, the world’s largest Antonovs are beginning to show their age. transport aircraft, was brought in from the The base camp was established at a little town 3 Flypast V. 41 No. 6 about 25 kilometres south of Muzaffarabad, the In one amazing case, a woman was found alive provincial capital of Pakistan-controlled under the rubble of a building in Muzaffarabad Kashmir. Two wars have been fought over in the latter part of December, after DART had Kashmir and only six months before the arrival redeployed to Canada. of DART rounds were being exchanged in the DART was a totally self-contained operation, border area. Normally, it takes about four hours offering primary medical care, with some to travel to Muzaffarabad from Islamabad. minor surgeries, the production of safe water, However, after the earthquake, DART required and a limited specialist engineer capability an exhausting 12-hour trip through mountainous which facilitated minor road construction and terrain in the Himalayas to get there. carpentry work in addition to potable water. A The equipment was transported to the camp in DART brought standard military rations. striking, uniquely decorated Pakistani trucks Occasionally, DART traded some of its rations nicknamed Ajingle trucks. @ with the Americans and therefore had a bit of DART set up camp about 45 minutes on a very variety. DART’s rations were mainly ‘boil in a bad road to the unofficial border between bag’ type and thus the team didn’t have a Pakistan- and India-controlled Kashmir. Capt. kitchen facility, with cooks,etc., as that would Purpura described the devastation as incredible. have taken up valuable space in a limited camp AI couldn’t take a picture for the first two weeks area.

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