Nicole Goldsworthy
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SASKTODAY.ca
ST. BRIEUX — Rod Pearson served in both the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Armed Forces during the Cold War. His experience included naval operations, air patrols and international training exercises through the 1970s. Now 73, Pearson reflects on his own years of service as Remembrance Day approaches.
Pearson grew up in Nut Mountain, attending high school for three years in Kelvington and one in Hudson Bay, where his father worked at Simpson Timber Mill.
“I wasn’t sure about the military, other than being brought up in that environment,” Pearson said. “But I knew I didn’t want to farm right away as a kid.”
He joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1970, just after turning 18. After saying goodbye to friends that July, he headed to basic training in Nova Scotia by August.
Pearson completed 13 weeks of basic training, followed by sonar and firefighting instruction. Later that year, he trained as a ship’s diver, completing six weeks of underwater training before joining his first ship in early 1971.
He spent much of the next five years at sea, training as a surface swimming diver and participating in naval operations along the West Coast. Pearson then joined the Canadian Armed Forces, receiving further training at CFB Greenwood, Nova Scotia, before being assigned to the 407 Squadron at CFB Comox on Vancouver Island.
“We’d have exercises throughout the Pacific, sometimes in Hawaii or San Diego. Much of our patrolling was over the open ocean.”
Pearson said the pace was intense. “I flew 2,000 hours in two and a half years,” he said. “Some patrols were 18 to 20 hours long. We also photographed potential spy ships and watched for fishing vessels encroaching on Canada’s economic border.”
He remembers one close encounter: “We were shadowing a Soviet refuelling operation. We got too close, gave them room to manoeuvre, and they fired a warning shot. The Canadian ship moved on.”
During that period, global tensions were high, Pearson recalled. “We worked closely with the Americans, Australians and New Zealanders. It was very multinational.”
The Air Force later sent Pearson to the University of Saskatchewan under the University Training Plan for Men, where he became a commissioned officer. He returned to the navy before being honourably discharged in 1981 due to medical reasons.
“You become very close with your crewmembers,” Pearson said. “You make lifelong friends. The armed forces are excellent at training you, but adapting back to civilian life can be hard.”
After retiring from the military, Pearson taught at SIAST in North Battleford for five years and later at SAIT in Calgary for 16 years. He eventually settled near St. Brieux Lake, where he enjoys retirement and volunteers with the Melfort Royal Canadian Legion, helping sell poppies each November.
Reflecting on his time in uniform, Pearson said, “The Cold War was different than Korea, Afghanistan or the World War One and Two. A lot of people worked hard to keep it cold and not let it go hot. It wasn’t about good guys and bad guys — just two systems at odds: one totalitarian, the other more democratic.”
As Remembrance Day nears, Pearson said he’s grateful for his experiences and friendships made through service. “The military was a great life for me,” he said.
