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.