聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Canadian Forces veterans can have a difficult time reintegrating into civilian life, but it's an invisible burden they bear. Although the country heavily focuses on veterans of the First and Second World Wars, Canada has three generations of soldiers in need of being helped and thanked for their services.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Paul Nichols, 46, is a veteran who has taken it upon himself to bring a voice to others. Oftentimes veterans come home or move into a community after serving the country and quietly live without even their neighbours knowing about their service.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It's a silent struggle that can affect veterans' lives as transitioning from military to civilian life including family breakups, mental illness, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nichols was a soldier with the Calgary Highlanders and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He served during the 1990s in Bosnia and Croatia, but found that returning home and leaving the military would be his greatest challenge. This has now led to Nichols' efforts in a cross-country horseback ride for the Communities for Veterans Foundation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淒eciding to do this, that's a big question, one with a long answer,鈥� Nichols smiled. 鈥淚t's a culmination of a lifetime of experiences. I was in the military and when I left I was coming from a high point in my career. It was an exciting time in my life, I had served in Croatia and Bosnia then came home and was helping in the battle school.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was part of a tight family, a strong brotherhood, there's a bond that develops amongst guys that you've served with. Terry [his wife] and I wanted to have kids, so we decided to move to her hometown of Quesnel. In small town B.C. I found that it was difficult, there was not a strong connection there for veterans. It was difficult for me and for us, I was leaving that tight knit family and felt lost.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Paul and Terry each have a background with horses. When Paul was looking for a new horse he was introduced to Zoe who helped turn his life around, and is one of the horses Paul has brought on the ride.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪he's a pretty special horse,鈥� Paul stated. 鈥淚'm a different person today because of her. I had lost my way for a couple of years and I really struggled. I spent a lot of time alone then and more time with her.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen you're asking a horse to go forward and it's not moving, and you keep asking and asking, you've got to change up what you're doing. It makes you look inside and sometimes you don't like what you see, so you've got to address that. Getting results on her actually made me get along better with my wife.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Paul has since rejoined the military serving as a Canadian Ranger, through this he and his wife run a military course teaching basic horsemanship.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 lot of them haven't ridden horses before and by the end of the week we do some intense riding,鈥� Terry explained. 鈥淎nd they all say that they've never felt as calm or as patient as they have with them.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Contemporary veterans are in need of help when transitioning from a military life to a civilian one and this is the message the Nichols' want to share across the country as suicide has a higher death toll amongst serving members than death in combat. This is a harsh reality which helped lead the Nichols to this journey bringing awareness to the issue.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was in Vancouver, I was wearing a light jacket and it had the military crest on it,鈥� Paul said of the moment he pinpoints as inspiration for the ride. 鈥淪he recognized the crest and began talking to me. She was a survivor from Sarajevo, she had survived in an underground parking lot over there. She told me her story, gave me a hug, and thanked me. It was a heartfelt moment, I had tears in my eyes, she had tears, and everyone else in the line had tears from the story as well. It was a turning point, it was a huge deal for me and was because she simply chose to share her story.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Stories are what the Nichols' share throughout the communities, they tell theirs and find veterans willing to share with them in turn. While travelling they attempt to discover who the veterans are before arriving in a town. Often the veterans are the ones who come out to the community dinners yet hang back with people unaware of the individuals' service.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 couple of days ago there was a man at one of these events who was hesitant to talk to us, but he did call us and will be joining the ride with us in Quebec,鈥� Terry explained. 鈥淗orses can give comfort to us and he had come to a riding clinic, we have veterans ride with us when we can, and we were in the barn. He began opening up and sharing his story with me. He had been in Somalia, had served for six years, and when he came home he was told by someone that he wasn't a 'real' veteran. He beat that person up who said that to him and went to jail, he ended up in jail a total of three times. He withdrew from his military brothers and from the community.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e have letters that students at the school back home wrote for veterans we meet along the way and we gave him one of these letters, it was addressed, 'Dear Veteran,' and he said it was the first time he had been thanked for his service, twenty-five years after he served.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Nichols and their team began their journey on April 13 from Victoria and they have been moving eastward.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e'll be joined by over 700 people by the time we get to St. John's, easily,鈥� Terry stated. 鈥淲e're on day seventy-something of 211 and will be in Newfoundland the first week of November.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e absolutely love small town Saskatchewan. We've been staying with a lot of families here, other places we were staying in larger facilities, so this is really nice.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Paul rides seven horses, four are used in a day, switching out so as not to overwork the horses. He rides about an average of 35 kilometres per day and they invite veterans to ride with them.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Their journey will take them through all of the provincial capitals as well as through Ottawa.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s Canadians we love our troops,鈥� Paul said. 鈥淏ut we also miss the mark because we need to support our veterans better. It's tough because we don't always know who the veterans are or we sometimes forget about them and this ride is a reminder of that.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nichols journeyed from Kennedy to Wawota on Sunday, June 28, and continued from Wawota to Maryfield the following day.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To learn more about Communities for Veterans Foundation and about Paul's journey across Canada visit their webpage: . Or can be found on Facebook by searching Communities For Veterans: The Ride Across Canada.
