The Ukraine Connection

By Richard Wangard



Before Stalin marched through the Ukraine in World War II my wife’s grandparents were able to get out.  They got to Thunder Bay, Canada, that’s where my wife’s mother was born.  Her name was Mary and the most wonderful woman I have ever known.  The best cook-the kindest soul-pure goodness.  She and Ray had 6 kids.  Ray is a whole another story!  A chief in the Navy during World War II.  Not one but two aircraft carriers shot out that he was on.  The Hornet and the Wasp.  Then he went to the Enterprise and after enough got stationed in Canade where he met Mary.  A love story for the ages!  Mary left Canada and came to the states to marry Ray.  My wife Sandy is the oldest of the six kids and Ray died right when the last child was born.  Sandy helped raise her siblings as Mary worked.  Ray was one hellava man who I never got to meet but the family stories and his service are things legends are made out of!  So Mary is left with 6 kids to raise all on her own and she did a wonderful job-never complaining-just Doing!  Since Mary came from Canada that means both me and Sandy are elgible for Canadian Citizenship.  We will return to that later.



So Stalin marches through the Ukraine, raping, killing, stealing and taking it over!  But Sandy’s grandparents go out-Thank God!



I did three tours in Nam-that was my war and I was in the Air Force working on and flying on C-130A aircraft-I was an engine mechanic who had to learn how to become a medic-for medivac missions before I got to the place where I was to fix an aircraft.  We lost 2551 fixed wing aircraft in Nam.  Guess whose bullets, RPGs and rockets destroyed our aircraft?  Russian!  You might wonder why I hate Russia so much!  I lost good friends and fellow airmen to the Russians as they supplied everything to North Vietnam.  Even pilots flying the Mig-21.  Bad pilots!  They could never afford to lose a Mig-21, so they fired missiles from long range and ran home like the cowards they are not willing to let our F-4 Phantoms shoot their ass down!  The Mig-17s were easy prey for our fighter jocks but Russians flew Mig-21s.  we lost many C-130s when I was in Nam-really excellent men. Faces I can’t forget---EVER!!



So, now Russia attacks the Ukraine AGAIN!  If I was younger I would just love to kill me some Damn Russians! But I am old and all I can do is pray and support the Ukraine in any way I can!



This brings me to Canadian Citizenship!  If you think I served 3 tours in Nam to watch some BOZO Clown to become President and love our good friend PUTIN and that super North Korean Leader that he fell in Love with---well my friends I don’t think I will stay here if he gets to be leader of the free world.  And I have the right and the will to follow through.  Just as you, my friends, have the right to vote the fool in if you should so desire!



But after all the history and after seeing what he is and stands for-well I am sorry!  I must learn OH CANADA!  Not on my watch will I witness the destruction of our democracy-the end of what I fought for as my oldest grandson now serves in the Air Force.  I am not a loser or a sucker and I would do it all over again because I love my country and I did not have bone spurs.  Furthermore McCain was my brother!  Insult a downed pilot—please give me a break!  So you all decide-as for me, I have good options no matter what!



OH CANADA!