The Patricias: The Proud History of a Fighting Regiment
by David J. Bercuson
This well-researched book on the history of one of Canada's most storied regiments reinforced in my mind the incredible sacrifices our military has made, and our government's lack of sustained support for our forces. It also debunks the myth that Canada's army has been primarily a peacekeeping force.
I would like to quote at length from the book's conclusion (it was printed in 2001):
"The world is a far different place at the dawn of the twenty-first century than it was in August 1914, when Hamilton Gault first thought of raising a regiment for war. It is no coincidence, however, that members of the regiment he founded helped to bring a sort of peace to the Balkans and now serve there whenever their turn comes. The war the Patricias were raised to fight, after all, started in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia, not very far from the Canadian area of responsibility in Bosnia today. War is a much more technical phenomenon than it was in 1914, and some would argue that it is far deadlier and more destructive. That may be so, but war is still war and the primary job of all soldiers -- killing others and offering themselves up to be killed -- has not changed since the dawn of time. The same attributes of courage, steadfastness, loyalty, dedication to a higher cause, and a love for comrades in arms that exceeds love of self, motivated and sustained the Patricias in those first days in the Ypres Salient, at Bellewaerde Ridge, at the Hitler Line, at Kap'yong, and at the Medak Pocket. They sustain the regiment today."