By Sheila Phibbs
The Haldimand Press
CALEDONIA—Dennis Zebiere, President of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 154 in Caledonia, had a military career of more than four decades that took him across Canada and to different parts of the world. He joined the Legion in 2009 and, after serving his country, he is now serving his community.
Zebiere was born in Saskatchewan and then moved to Manitoba at the age of seven. He joined the military under a soldier apprentice plan at the age of 16 and completed four years of Arts and Science in the Army Service Corps. He served as a clerk in the Army, but was looking for more of a challenge. He then joined the Air Force, becoming an air observer watching for and detecting submarines.
After officer and navigator training, he became an air navigator. He served across the country from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island, flying in such aircrafts as the Argus, the Aurora, and C130 Hercules. In Lahr, Germany, he was posted as a ground navigator – a non-flying position. He was later stationed in Geilenkirchin, Germany as a navigator on AWACS aircraft, which he describes as “a flying air traffic control.”
Zebiere has been all over the world, accumulating 11,064 flying hours and seeing every continent except Antarctica. His family was with him for many of his posts and his son attended school while in Germany. He describes his career as “fairly quiet” though some moments do stand out, including being in Quebec during the FLQ crisis and in Germany when the Berlin Wall came down.
He admits to some “trouble” after the Iran-Iraq war: “I did spend some time as the Ayatollah’s ‘special guest’. That was not a fun three hours, not sure what way it would go.”
He also recalls the genocide in Rwanda, noting, “You could smell the stench of the dead bodies when flying over the river.”
He flew in the air war over Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia as well. Reflecting on his career he says, “It was a good life. We saw a lot and did a lot of travelling in Europe.”
In 2003, Zebiere retired from the regular force and returned to Winnipeg. He joined the reserves as a squadron commander, becoming an officer for CASARA (Canadian Air Search and Rescue Association). He was responsible for Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the North West Territories, ensuring volunteers in search and rescue units were prepared to assist the military.
Full retirement came in 2008 and he and his wife moved to Caledonia to follow their daughter and her family. He had time on his hands and wondered, “What am I going to do?” He adds, “I stopped in at the Legion branch and talked to an older member and decided to join.”
That was 2009 and one year later he was on the executive. In his role as president, he is encouraging younger members to get involved, especially with the loss of some executive members this year. The current membership stands at 169 with four veterans remaining from the major wars, including three from WWII and one from the Korean War.
Zebiere acknowledges it’s been a challenging year with many Legion activities “stifled” but the Youth Education committee is hoping to go ahead with the annual poster contest. Unfortunately, Legion representatives cannot visit schools this November and Remembrance Day ceremonies are being modified to adapt to the current health guidelines. Zebiere assures, “The war vets and their families will be taken care of and the members. This is their clubhouse.”
That being said, the Legion is open under current restrictions to everyone – and you don’t have to be military or a relative to visit. Community support is appreciated, especially this year. The front patio was made possible with help from the County (tables) and the Caledonia Fair Board (barriers) and continues to be enjoyed as weather permits. Ken Jones of Jones Bakery has volunteered his time to look after the front lawn and Scott Miller takes care of snow removal. Bernice Garland made vinyl covers for the patio tables and a patron volunteered to construct and install a plexi glass shield for the inside bar. All donations are gratefully received.
In turn, the Legion continues to support the community providing bursaries to McKinnon Park students, donating to the food bank, and donating poppy sales to Hagersville, Dunn-ville, and Juravinski Hospitals. The next big project is to improve the washrooms and install an accessible washroom. The Legion is available for event rentals (current capacity is 50) and Zebiere says it is an ideal location for parties and special occasions.
That is perhaps what Dennis Zebiere appreciates most about the Legion; it is a gathering place. It offers camaraderie for those with the same interests and experiences. He explains, “For the vets, they had different experiences from people on the street. It’s not easy to relate those experiences to people. This is a place of comfort to express themselves.”
And the Legion is open to all as a place of fun and celebration. The Legion began as a gathering place for the volunteers who served their country and it continues as a place where the members serve the community.
