Nov 13, 2020
Lest we Forget, how can I forget what I can't imagine? I watch war movies and documentaries, read books, but I have never seen, felt or experienced being in the military. I can't imagine being in a combat situation, where you share a collective goal with your enemy, to kill or be killed. Or your home is a trench of cold, wet mud, and your vista, a web of barbed wire with the same intention a spider has to catch a fly? Or the sounds of a shower of bullets heading your way, or the scream of a bomb above? I am eternally grateful for all who serve.
This week on LIFE MATTERS, I chat with Kyle Davidson, who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 11 years as a Combat Engineer. His path began with a stern lecture from a Judge and continued to a recruiting office where he signed up for duty.
In 2011 Kyle fought in Afghanistan, and his responsibility was to clear the roads of bombs so that troops could deploy. Twice Kyle felt the full force of an explosion. First, when an armoured vehicle he was in blew up, and second when he stepped on a mine that sent him flying into rocks. Kyle suffered severe brain trauma and an option to return home. He refused because he refused to leave others behind.
Kyle also hid the impact of his brain injury for years because he loved his job. Eventually, he could no longer serve, so Kyle found a new mission; to help other VETS, who return less than healthy, to find their way back into society.
Lisa Taylor from the Challenge Factory joins the show to talk about the vital role veterans can play in the workforce. Bruce Robinson from RBC shares his story of growing up with Kyle Davidson and what he admires most about this extraordinary individual.