Frank Michon was one of the founding members of the Native Veterans Association. He was
also involved in getting the funding organized for this project. His photo album
collection was a huge addition to this website, and his experiences in service were a
great new perspective. The way Frank can tell his stories and relate his experiences,
maybe he should be a recruiter for the Navy. Frank joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1961
and was a member for 10 years until 1971. From 1971 to 1981 he was part of the
Construction Engineers. In 1981 he retired. He didn't rest long however joining the
Militia for an additional 7 years.
Frank is one of many members of his family that have served Canada in one of the Armed
Forces. His Father, Grandfather, Uncles, Cousins and Brothers have all served with
different parts of the Armed Forces. Here is a listing of the Michon family and their
service for Canada:
| Rank |
Name |
Division |
Relation |
Home |
Theatre of Service |
| |
Frank Michon |
52nd |
Grandfather |
Fort William |
WWI |
| |
Xavier Michon |
52nd |
Great Uncle |
Fort William |
WWI |
| Pte. |
Eugene F. Michon |
C.F.C. |
Father |
MacDiarmid |
WWII |
| Pte. |
Henry Michon |
C.F.C |
Cousin |
Fort William |
WWII |
| Pte. |
Xavier Michon |
5th Armoured |
Cousin |
Fort William |
WWII |
| Cpl. |
Eugene F. Michon |
PPCLI |
Father |
MacDiarmid |
Korea |
| Pte. |
Lloyd Michon |
PPCLI |
Uncle |
MacDiarmid |
Korea |
| LS |
Adrian Michon |
R.C.N. |
Brother |
Fort William |
Peace |
| LSWO |
Eugene F.D. Michon |
R.C.N. Sub |
Himself |
Fort William |
Peace |
| Cpl. |
Ian Michon |
R.C.E.M.E. |
Brother |
MacDiarmid |
Peace |
| Cfn. |
Harold L. Michon |
R.C.E.M.E. |
Brother |
Rocky Bay |
Peace |
| Out of the many submissions and stories that
Frank Michon gave to this project one sticks out more than others because of the
atmosphere and humour involved. Many of Frank's pictures could be posters for
recruiting for the Royal Canadian Navy. This one picture stands out because in the
background of the picture there is a palm tree, blue skies and ships as the back drops for
two sailors. The two sailors in the picture were arm in arm and had these great smiles on
their faces. It turns out that while Frank was at sea his younger brother had was also
sailing with the R.C.N., the only problem was that he was on the other coast. You can't
see much of each other sailing in different oceans. When a series of exercises took place
near Trinidad it brought the entire fleet together, both coasts, East and West for the
first time in what was called the Maple Springs '66 Exercises. When Frank finally hit port
in Trinidad he was happy to discover other Canadian ships already in
port. Knowing that his brother was now part of the R.C.N., he took some time to check into
the crews of some of the ships, asking if his brother was a part of these ships. The first
ship that he went to, had his brother aboard and an impromptu family reunion was had. This
picture was taken during their celebrations in Trinidad. |
Frank and Adrian Michon
Maple Springs '66
R.C.N. Exercises 1966
|
Below is a small collection of the pictures that Frank has submitted to this project.
[You can click on each photo to view a larger image]
|
