Remembrance Day
Nov 08, 2022
Captain (Ret’d) Richard J. Van Slyke MMM CD
Remembrance Day

Born in Vancouver in 1952, Richard joined the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in 1968 as a 16 year old bandsman.  Over the following 42 years of part-time and full-time service, Richard rose through the ranks to Chief Warrant Officer and then commissioned to Captain in 1985 on his appointment as Director of Music.  He also cross-trained into the combat arms working as a signaller, artilleryman, gun tractor driver, artillery detachment commander, parachutist, civil-military cooperation operator, NATO tactical and operational CIMIC instructor, casualty assisting officer and family deployment support coordinator.  Richard was released medically from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2011 as a result of Operational Stress Injuries related to his service.