Page 5 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 108

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #108 January 2022 5

VISIT CORNWALLMAZDA.COM for details ZOOM-ZOOM
613-933-6210

3301 Brookdale avenue, cornwall
“Where sales are built on service”
DEALER OF DISTINCTION

Thank You for Your Service:

Richard Vinet

By Casey Leger Texas. The last nine months of his expectancies.
enlistment took him to Vietnam
Eventually, Vinet took a job as a
ports Energy’s Saluting our for nine months, where he served corrections officer at the Burwash
SVeterans feature kicks off the in Saigon, Nha Trang, and Cam Correctional Farm in the Sudbury
New Year with Richard Vinet, a Rhan Bay. His tour of service area. He moved to the Sudbury
Canadian citizen who, as a landed ended in Oakland, California. Board of Education where he
immigrant in the United States,
As a Canadian serving in the served as a truant officer and
served with the 32nd Medical American forces, Vinet says he counsellor. In 1981 he returned to
Depot Platoon in Vietnam.
felt accepted and respected by the Cornwall area where he rose to
Vinet spent the early part of his brothers in arms. “Canadians the position of Property Manager
his childhood in the Cornwall were very well liked,” he explains. with the Cornwall and Area
and Morrisburg areas. His father “We were known for our sense of Housing Authority. Vinet has been
was a businessman who, among humour.” married for 51 years and has two
other things, owned and operated children and four grandchildren.
Photo Submitted Like a lot of Vietnam veterans,
the Wallrich Hotel, which was Vinet faced some challenges Vinet continues to be heavily
appropriated in 1949 as part of the responsible for issuing medical readjusting to life as a civilian. He involved in helping Canadian
Seaway project. supplies, including to the men in knocked around Cornwall for a veterans who served in the United
the field. “I have no regrets,” Vinet
The Vinet family moved to while, spent some time in Florida, States. He’s the official Canadian
St. Petersburg, Florida, where says. “I enjoyed my tour in the and even considered re-enlisting, Liaison Officer for the Fort Drum
Vinet was subject to the Selective Army Medical Corps.” despite the fact that he would Retiree Council and for the North
Service program, so rather than His enlistment took Vinet across have most likely been sent back to Country Veterans Association.
waiting to be drafted or returning the United States. He served at Vietnam, where medical personnel That story is covered elsewhere
to Canada to avoid serving, Fort Gordon, Georgia, Fort Polk, were facing increasingly tougher in this issue: Helping Canadian
he enlisted. Vinet’s outfit was Louisiana, and Fort Sam Houston, conditions and shortened life- Veterans of U.S. Conflicts.