Sapper spent time in Bosnia helping
people injured by exploding mines

Anna Marie D'Angelo
News Reporter adangelo@nsnews.com

PRIVATE Ryan Morgan does not know where to start when
asked to speak about the six months he spent in Bosnia-
Herzegovina (Bosnia) this year.

The 24-year-old Canon Graham grad isa “sapper” or engineer at private rank
in the Canadian army.

Sappers build bridges, conduct mine warfare, set up obstacles and do deuioli-
tions. In peace time in Bosnia, sappers work mainly to remove and dispose of land
mines. There are an estimated one million mines buricd in Bosnia.

Morgan was in) Bosnia from) Mareh to September at) Tomislavgrad.
Tomislavgrad is near Split, a tourist town in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea,

“It was eye-opening to say the least. Tt was unbelievable really,” said: Morgan.

Bosnia has been officially at peace since 1995, following a horrific civil ethnic
war.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed or forced to leave their
homes. Muslims and Croats were dnven from theie homes by Serbian forces in ter-
ritorial conquests and so-called “ethnic cleansing.” Towards the end of the war,
Croats and Muslims started to retake land. Aqocities were conducted on ail sides.

Serbians are predominantly Russian Orthodox Christians, Croatians are pre-
dominandy Roman Catholics. There are also Muslims who lived throughout
Bosnia.

Morgan's job in Bosnia was to be part of a section of nine sappers who were
first on the scene to assist injured people after mine explosions.

“We were responsible to get that person out. To get that vehicle out,” said
Morgan. ‘

Morgan said that there are about 300 peuple a year killed by mines in Bosnia.

He said soldiers are not allowed to walk on grass or drive off the side of the road
for any reason for fear of triggering a mine. The only place soldiers are allowed to
go is cleared (by sappers) hard pack surface or asphalt.

“A couple of times we were first on the scene, but only once at 2 mine strike
where the guy died,” said Morgan who has been in the army for three years.

The dead man ‘was a local person who was out collecting fire wood.

., «.’ Morgan was not actually involved in the body retrieval after the mine strike.
«Morgan was on leave at the time. Other sappers in his close-knit section were.
“.~. Meorgan explained that after the mine went off two sappers went in to clear a
“* metre-wide path.
.. One sapper had a mine detector. If he got a “hit” from the mine detector, he
- would go around it soa snaky path was made. The second soldier marked the path
:-behind them. The object is to have the injured person safely carried out.
; “You'll switch off if anyone has a bad feeling or is tired and can’t focus any-

oo more,” said Morgan.

“Safety is an issue, but at this point you have to hurry because you don't know
hether the person is dead or alive,” he said.
In this case, the man was dead, but the combat engineers didn’t know that.
J 4 “Once you get to him, you have to prod around the body, because you can't
- .\use your mine detector anymore because of the shrapnel that may be in his body,”
‘” said Morgan.”
_. "The dead man was placed on the stretcher and carried out by the Canadian sol-
ders who wore flak vests, helmets with visors, and red Canadian flag shoulder
arches,
: P ‘Morgan said mine danger didn’t cross his mind at the time because of al! the
| training. ;
an Ft crosses your mind in the moments when you are sitting down and relaxing,”
said Morgan. ; .
 He’'did six months of training in Edmonton for the peacekeeping tour before
going overseas. The usual training in Canada is for war.
~-..“That is what we are preparing for even though hopefilly it will never happen,”
he said. me,
“:» His peacekeeping brigade contained more than 1,000 soldiers. He was 2 a
:? troop of 50. who were in a squadron of more than 100, The soldiers were on a rota-
. tion and relieved a brigade group already there for six months.
~ “It made me really appreciate what we have in Canada,” said Morgan.
~ = “We have it ail here. These people (in Bosnia) have nothing except this inher-
‘ent hatred for cach other. ] couldn't fathom that.”
‘He said most of the Bosnian people were friendly to the soldiers.
“But to themselves they have this deep hatred,” said Morgan.
2°" “You get mixed emotions when you are there. One minute you think that you
are really doing a good thing for this country. As a presence, you are preventing

. CANADA has honoured this country’s
‘war dead in the year 2000 with the cre-
ation of The Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier... |

A ceremony marking the occasion took place in
‘May in Ottawa. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
is located in front of the National War Memorial.
°°: The artist who won the $100,000 commission to
-design the three-tiered granite and bronze tribute is
Mary-Ann Liu.
“From conception to finish it stayed very close to
my original, vision,” said Liu. “I was really happy in
: how it worked out.” .
*.. Liu is ‘an artist who lives in’ Mission. She also
works in North Vancouver in the film industry. She
is a graphic designer for the Fox television series

“Dark Angel.- : “ e .

Several years. ago, the Royal Canadian Legion
presented the proposal to have the tomb created as a

jpture has North Shore |

CANADA’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
became a national monument in May.

site of the famous Canadian battle. The soldier had
been buried in his boots and with his gas mask.
Approximately 20,00 people paid respect to the

; NEWS phate Julle verson
NORTH Vancouver’s Private Ryan Morgan recently spent six
months in Bosnia in peacekeeping duties.

them from fighting, pulling people out of mine fields, you are clearing area for peo-

ple to live in, but at che same time these people hate each other so much.”

He saw people living with nothing.

“We'd drive by sometimes and drop off food because they were starving,” he
said. “What do you start with when you have nothing?” ;

Morgan was born and raised in North Vancouver. He was interested in the army

as a hobby. Morgan's grandfather was in the army in the Second World War. His

father was in the militia.

“T was bored ct the time. I wasn’t going to school and [ needed a hobby. This
one paid me and I get to blow. stuff up,” said Morgan.

“T didn’t want to be in a war, but I did want to blow stuff up and bz in a peace-
keeping tour,” he said.

He was in the army for two years when he went on a peacekeeping tour in
Bosnia. He could go again in a year’s time. ,

Morgan said the army usually wants soldiers with more experience to go on
peacekeeping tours, but the army is short-stafted.

He did boot camp for six weeks in Wainwright, Alberta. He trained with his

home unit of the Six Field Squadron in North Vancouver throughout the year and -

took courses in the summer. A year ago, he went to New Brunswick and took a six-
week trade course and qualified as a combat engineer. .

Morgan has not seen war, only the aftermath of it in Bosnia. ;

“I think people should stop and think especially for Remembrance Day and
probably open their eyes a bit and realize what is going on around the world. We
are so sheltered in Canada,” he said. ; : 7

He urges people to volunteer for the Peace Corps and give money to UNICEF
and international relief agencies.

“What I'd say is to remember. Don’t take anything for granted. Live each day
to its fullest. Try to do some good in this world because there is just not enough

“of it sometimes when you go to places like that,” he said. ;
Morgan will take part in a Remembrance Day ceremony on the North Shore *

ink

tomorrow. i

Soldier’s sarcophagus is made from granite: from
Quebec. The granite was carved by Maurice
Joanisse. Liu sculpted the bronze in her Mission stu-

dio. The bronze was cast at a foundry at Roberts .

Creek on the Sunshine Coast.

Bronze sculpture on the monument depicts 2
crusader sword (a soldier symbol), a First World War
helmet, a branch of maple leaves and a branch of lau-
rel leaves (laurel is a victory and death symbol), The
four elements pay homage to the altar in the Vimy
Ridge monument. .

Also included in bronze are corner pieces that
consist of a poppy and three Memorial Crosses.

Liu emphasizes that the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier was a collaborative effort of talented people.
She credits project manager Mare Monette and oth-
ers for their work on the tribute. .

Liu was one of 10 artists invited to compete for

Photo submitted

a tight six months from winning the contract to the
soldier's internment ceremony.

the project. Six people submitted proposais. I¢ took’

year 2000 project. The federal government support-
ed the project. . ot

The unknown soldier placed in the tomb died
“during, the, First-World War. ‘The soldier had been
buried in a French cemetery. near Vimy Ridge, the

soldier after his casket was placed in the Hail of
Honour in the Centre Block of Parliament in May.

The casket was on display for three days before it was |”
taken to the tomb site. The Tomb of the Unknown

This was Li's first national monument. Among
her works are the Dragon Lanterns in Vancouver's
Chinatown. : ia ; : =

—~Anna Marie D’Angelo

DO you wish to take part in
Remembrance Day cere-
monics? The following is a
list of events and informa-.
tion:

W@ REMEMBRANCE DAY
SERVICE IN NORTH
VANCOUVER: Saturday,
Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m. at the
Cenotaph, East Keith Road
and Lonsdale. Service sterts at
10:45 a.m.

@ REMEMBRANCE DAY
MARCH AND CSEREMO-
NY IN WEST
VANCOUVER: Saturday,
Nov. 11, 10 a.m. to noon,
from 18th and Marine to
Cenotaph, to 21st and back to
18th. Assemble at Memorial
‘Arch, 18th and Marine, at .
10:30 a.m. for the 10:45 a.m.
service.

THE BURRARD
YACHT CLUB will conduct
its annual Remembrance Day
Service, Saturday, Nov. 1],
10:30 to 11:30 p.m. The ser-
vice will be attended by
approximately 50 boats which
will be anchored off Roche
Point, Cates Park. All are wel-
come shore side at Cates Park,

@ BRIDGE TO HOPE:
Remembrance Day concert.
Readings and music by the
Choir Leoni Men’s Choir with
special guests the Vancouver
Children’s Choir and the
Coastal Sound Children’s
Concert Choir. Friday, Nov.
10, at 8 p.m., at the Christ

_- Church Cathedral and

Saturday, Nov. 11, noon, at
the West Vancouver United
Church, Tickets are $18 and
$14 and are available through

Ticketmaster or at the door.

VETS RIDE TRANSIT
FREE: bus, SeaBus, and
SkyTrain services across the .
Greater Vancouver. Regional." | :-
District will be five on Se

. Saturday, Nov. 11, for ::

Ordinary and Life members of...
the Royal Canadian Legion,

the Army. Navy and Airforce
Vets and the Korean Veterans
Association. Members need: '
only show their cards to.’
receive free passage. Full

details are available from  -
TransLink customer informa: 0°").
tion at 953-3333...” an

SENIORS TRAVEL
FREE Oty REMEM- *.
BRANCE Déy: Seniors trav-
el free as passengers on - ~
Saturday, Nov..11 on most of .
BC Ferries’ routes in recogni- °° ~
tion of their wartime contribu-

tion: ~ . ; ae
@ REMEMBRANCE DAY ;
ON ROGERS TELEVI-
SION Friday, Nov. 10, - :
Plugged IN presents a special
tribute to Canadian Veterans ~.
and the men and women of. |.
Canada’s military. at 7, 8:30, °
11:30 a.m., 6:30 and 10:30...
p.m. plus Nov. 11, lam. On

Saturday, Nov. 11, at8 p.m. A
_ War of their Own, recounts th
« day in-1943, when Canadian -

troops landed at Sicily.’ *