Published April 29, 2014
ON THE DEC 1 2010 MWO DENNIS HENDRICKSON WILL RETIRE HAVING SERVED A CAREER SPANNING ALMOST 43 YEARS WITH THE CANADIAN FORCES AND AIR RESERVE OF WHICH 37 PLUS YEARS HAVE BEEN IN UNIFORM DENNIS JOINED THE MILITARY A YEAR BEFORE THE MOON WALK AND I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON I AM TALKING ABOUT NEIL ARMSTRONG WALKING ON THE MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A YOUNG PRIVATE DENNIS HAD THE HONOUR OF DRIVING THAT CREWS BAGGAGE AROUND IN OTTAWA DURING THEIR VISIT IN 1969 HE WAS IN UNIFORM FOR THE OCTOBER CRISIS IN 1970 AND FOR THOSE READING THIS NO DENNIS DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANY KIDNAPPING ETC OR SO HISTORY MAKES US BELIEVE HE WAS SERVING DURING THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF THE FORMER CZECHOSLOVAKIA IN 1968 THE 1974 WAR IN CYPRUS THE FALL OF THE WALL SEPARATING EAST AND WEST GERMANY THE 1976 OLYMPICS ETC.
MWO DENNIS HENDRICKSON FIRST JOINED THE NEWLY INTEGRATED CANADIAN FORCES IN WINNIPEG MANITOBA ON THE 23 APR 1968 AND WAS SELECTED TO BE A DRIVER IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN ARMY SERVICE CORPS HE LEFT BY TRAIN ON 8 MAY OF THAT YEAR FOR BASIC TRAINING AT THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT DEPOT IN LONDON ONT MANY PUSH UPS LATER HE EMERGED A FULLY TRAINED CENTURION ON 23 AUG AFTER TRADES TRAINING LATER THAT FALL(MSE OP) DENNIS WAS POSTED TO CFB UPLANDS OTTAWA AFTER 4 YEARS DENNIS FOUND HIMSELF ON THE MOVE TO HIS HOME PROVINCE OF MANITOBA TO CFS BEAUSEJOUR DURING WHICH TIME HE MARRIED HIS SWEETHEART TERRY AFTER 2 YEARS AND STILL LOOKING FOR A PLACE THAT COULD HANDLE HIM THEY SHIPPED HIM TO COLD LAKE DENNIS COULDNT FIND A LASTING HOME THERE SO THEY SHIPPED HIM OFF TO LAHR GERMANY IN 1978 WHERE HE SERVED WITH BOTH THE SERVICE BATTALION AND BASE LAHR FINALLY DENNIS CAME BACK HOME TO WINNIPEG IN 1982 AFTER BEING ACCEPTED FOR A REMUSTER TO THE STRUCTURES TECHNICIAN TRADE. AFTER HE FINISHED HIS QL 3 HE FOUND HIMSELF POSTED TO BEAUSEJOUR AGAIN AND IT WAS DURING THIS POSTING HE SPENT 3 MONTHS IN ALERT AS PART OF A TEAM BUILDING THE PRESENT HAPS BLDG AND BECAME A MEMBER OF THE FROZEN CHOSEN CLUB DENNIS WAS POSTED TO CFSME CHILLIWACK BC IN 1986 AS AN INSTRUCTOR AND AFTER THREE YEARS HE MOVED TO THE EAST COAST TO GREENWOOD WHERE HE GOT TO SPEND SOME TIME WORKING ON THE DEW LINE SIX MONTHS IN ISRAEL AND SEVERAL TRIPS TO CFS BERMUDA (TOUGH LIFE) AND THREE YEARS LATER HE WAS SENT PACKING BACK TO THE WEST COAST TO CHILLIWACK FINALLY ON MAY 15 1993 DENNIS DECIDED TO RELEASE FROM THE CANADIAN FORCES HAVING OBTAINED THE RANK OF SGT
DENNIS SPENT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WORKING AS A MUNICIPAL WORKER FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND BC DURING WHICH TIME HE COMMENCED HIS CAREER IN THE AIR RESERVE AT 192 AEF IN ABBOTSFORD BC DESPITE MUCH TREPIDATION DENNIS AND HIS TWO SONS JAMIE AND TODD LOADED UP SEVERAL TRUCKS AND MOVED BACK TO WINNIPEG IN THE SPRING OF 1999 WHERE ALL THREE WENT LOOKING FOR JOBS TERRY WAS PACKED UP AND DRAGGED KICKING AND SCREAMING ON THE FINAL TRIP AND TRANSFERRED TO THE FORENSIC LAB WITH THE RCMP DENNIS TRANSFERRED TO THE 17 WG AR FLT AS THE WCWO ASST ON THE 24 JUN 1999 AND THE REST IS HISTORY HE WAS PROMOTED TO WO AND SERVED UNDER FOUR DIFFERENT WCWOS ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END AND A PROMOTION TO MWO HAD HIM MOVE TO WING READINESS TRAINING FLIGHT AND FINALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE HQS LIMELIGHT HE TOOK UP THE POSITION AS 17 WING AIR RESERVE FLIGHT MWO A POSITION HE HELD UNTIL HE MOVED TO THE WING MUSEUM IN JULY AS THE CURATOR.
DENNIS WAS AWARDED THE CANADIAN FORCES DECORATION 2ND CLASP SSM UNDOF AND CPSM AS WELL AS BEING THE ONLY SERVING NON ABORIGINAL CF MEMBER AWARDED THE ABORIGINAL VETERANS MEDAL HAVING PREVIOUSLY BEEN MADE AN HONORARY ABORIGINAL VETERAN ASSN MEMBER FOR HIS ONGOING ASSISTANCE TO THEM.
DENNIS AND HIS WIFE TERRY PLAN ON STAYING IN THE WINNIPEG AREA WHERE DENNIS WILL CONTINUE ON AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE 17 WING MUSEUM THE KOREAN VETERANS ASSN AND MANY OTHER VETERAN GROUPS IN THE WINNIPEG AND SURROUNDING AREA.
A RETIREMENT LUNCHEON WILL BE HELD 2 DEC 2010 AT GASTHAUS GUTENBERGER 2583 PORTAGE AVENUE WINNIPEG MANITOBA COMMENCING AT 1130 HRS DONATIONS WILL BE GLADLY ACCEPTED TO PROVIDE DENNIS WITH A DEPARTING GIFT AND CAN BE DROPPED OFF AT THE 17 AIR RESERVE FLIGHT.
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES, BEST WISHES, IN GOOD FLAVOUR AND OUTRIGHT LIES ABOUT DENNIS MAY BE PASSED ON BY E MAIL TO DAVID STUBBERT (AT) FORCES.GC.CA OF BY FAX 204-833- 2558