Thursday, January 5, 2023

Peacekeeping And War Far From Home

I am returning today to my series from the Canadian War Museum.

The turnover of the 20th century into the 21st century was a turbulent time, and that was certainly the case with military history. Canadian forces took part in peacekeeping operations around the world. The darkest chapter of that was the Rwandan genocide, where a UN peacekeeping mission commanded by Canadian general Romeo Dallaire could only bear witness as civil war erupted in the African country, while the world turned away until it was too late.


Dallaire suffered PTSD from the experience. His book Shake Hands With The Devil is a harrowing account into what became an absolute nightmare.


Canadians also took part in peacekeeping missions in the Yugoslav Wars, as the former East Bloc country disintegrated into its old factions. What started out as peacekeeping often ended up in fighting for your own life in a part of the world where hundreds of years of pent up vendettas erupted on ethnic lines, and where war crimes were being committed.


Lewis Mackenzie commanded at Sarajevo; this is his flak jacket.


Master Corporal Mark Isfeld, whose responsibility it was to defuse landmines, was killed by one of them in Croatia. A legacy left behind by him is the Izzy doll, a knit toy made by his mother and others, still a tradition to this day, given to children in war torn lands.


This UN transport came under heavy fire one night in Croatia, badly shot up. The types of bullets used can be seen in the foreground at right.

50 comments:

  1. Ingo has sweet memories of holidays in Croatia in his youth - his brother bad ones from Africa. What is wrong with some people...

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    1. For the most part the former Yugoslavia has calmed down, but there was a time it was the most violent place on the planet.

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  2. Sad that human can be capable of so much evil. They have no conscience at all.

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    1. Once you start thinking of other humans as "less" human, conscience goes out the window.

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  3. We are on a mission of self destruction!

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  4. I am sure that Romeo Dallaire never fully recovered from that experience. Who could?

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  5. La historia ha sido testigo de tantas muertes cruentas y a pesar de todo no ponemos remedios para evitar las guerras. Yo siempre le hecho la culpa, al que la comienza.

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  6. I wish we could rid the world of evil! Take care, enjoy your day!

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  7. Daillaire’s book is a tough read. One can’t even imagine what the reality was like.

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  8. I always felt so badly for Dallaire.

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  9. I have always had a bad taste of the war in the former Yugoslavia. And it's still a powder keg.

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  10. ...the Rwandan genocide was just one of a string of horrible things in history. Will things ever get better?

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  11. Those quotes about cruelty really struck me.

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  12. Peacekeeping is dangerous work.

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  13. Man's inhumanity to man, still going on and still so sad that we haven't learned to be more peaceful. Thankful for the peacemakers.

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  14. Peacekeeping is dangerous, but I am thankful for the peacemakers.

    All the best Jan

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  15. I agree with the others despite Canadians being Peacekeepers it is a dangerous situation to be in.

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  16. What a heartbreaking exhibit! Reminds me of my high school history teacher who often used the phrase “man’s inhumanity to man.” He was Jewish, so the tragic history of World War II probably seemed very real to him.

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  17. Great photo series ~ would like to 'imagine' the world in peace ~ sigh

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  18. I know so little about it but it seems like it would be almost as hard to keep the peace as to fight the war.

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  19. I see you are back to your war stories. And I wanted to know if you are buried in snow !

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    1. We lost a lot of our snowpack, but it's been snowing again the last couple days.

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  20. How I wish all wars would cease forever.

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