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Helping out his fellow veteran
not only calls discipline, but also close links. The now Cornwall resident says the military base was home to about 1500 other army children. “We were so close together,” he said. “They taught us a routine, they even taught us how to make our beds.” Gary’s father served during D-day, as an infantryman and served in the Korean War as a medic. “He saw awful things,” Samler ex- plained. “He was on the frontlines of it all. He used to say that Korea was a lot worse than World War 2.” Friends of Vets As president of Friends of Vets , an orga- nization that reaches out to local veterans and their families, Samler explains that it always helps him to help others. According to the organization’s website, their mission is to provide a safe and non judgmental environment for military, R.C.M.P and veteran
develops when an individual is ex- posed to trauma involving death or the threat of death, serious injury, or sexual violence. PTSD causes intrusive symptoms such as re-experiencing the trau- matic event. Many people have vivid nightmares, "ashbacks, or thoughts of the event that seem to come from nowhere. They often avoid things that remind them of the event—for example, someone who was hurt in a car crash might avoid driving. “A lot of ex-soldiers su$er from it,” he said. “A lot of them will self-med- icate themselves, or turn to alcohol or even crime. Once you commit a crime, you’re pretty much done.”
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
CORNWALL | As he sips on his co"ee, it’s obvious that the Cornwall resident is a man proud of his past. On his Friends of Vets hat is a pinned poppy. The symbolic object is obviously extremely important to him. In every sense of the word, Gary Samler’s life has always revolved around the military. From personal life to person- al experiences, the disciplined hierarchy is what shaped him. “When you leave the forces and come back to the civilian life, it’s sometimes hard to get a job,”he explained.“There are a lot of companies that say they hire veterans, but most of them end up getting people that were sitting behind desks. For guys like me, who saw action, it’s not always easy.” The man, now a grandfather, boasts 22 years of service, eight of them serving the Army and 15 with the Navy. “I was in peacekeeping (missions) and in the Gulf War,” he said. “I travelled over the whole word. I climbed pyramids, I saw the Queen. Although I’ve never #nished school, I can say I graduated from the school of life. I’ve seen the poverty in Jamaica, where they even eat rotten apples.” In all, Samler proudly says he visited 38 countries. But although he’s quite proud of his illustrious career, the veteran explains that, alike many of his kin, he su$ers from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ac- cording to the Canadian Mental Health As- sociation, PTSD is a mental illness, which
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members, their departments and friends. We let themknow that they no longer have to suf- fer in silence with PTSD, depression, or other health issues acquired during their time of service. We will help educate the public about the issues that veterans and their families struggle with on a daily basis. Friends of Vets are brothers and sisters that help each other out in the bad times. “We’re dedicated to helping them out,” he explained. “We’re all veterans too. We’ve seen things. Sometimes, many of us try to hide it, but we can’t. Telling others always helps.”
Although he admits he sometimes has di!culty coping with PTSD, he credits his wife for always sticking by his side. “We’ve been married for 24 years now,” he said proudly. “We met in Valcartier, on an army base. I was there because my father was away on training, and her father was a soldier as well.” From there, the two met up again in Hali- fax, where Samler asked her hand in mar- riage. Having grown up on a base, his father being one of many family members who served his country with pride, a young Gary Samler was always surrounded by what he
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Parking restrictions With winter fast approaching, the City of Cornwall reminds motorists of the overnight parking restrictions that are in place. From November 15 to December 14, parking on any roadway between the hours of 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. is prohibited only on days when a snowfall of #ve centimeters or more is forecasted by Environment Canada. During the early restriction period, residents are encouraged to keep an eye on the weather forecast and local media reports. When a parking restriction is in e$ect, it will also be posted on the City website. Residents can also call 613-932-5354 to con#rm whether parking re- strictions are in place. FromDecember 15 to March 31, parking on any roadway between the hours of 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. is prohibited regardless of weather forecast. These restric- tions are necessary in order to ensure snow clearing activities can be completed in a safe and e$ective manner.
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