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Welcome and Introduction

After World War II Germany was divided into four zones, each occupied by one of the principal victors - Great Britain, France, United States and the Soviet Union. The capital city of Berlin was located in the Soviet zone and jointly operated by the four powers. Relations worsened and land routes to Berlin were blockaded. So began the Cold War and with this new threat, an alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), was formed on the 4th of April 1948.

The Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Airforce made commitments as Canada's contribution to NATO and, commencing in 1951, began tours of duty in Germany and in France. In 1953, with the official openings of Camps and Wings, wives and children were allowed to join their husbands and fathers.

So began a relationship that would see Canadian Service Members and their families rotating to France until the mid-1960s and Germany until the mid-1990s. For most, an experience that would enrich their lives, but for some, the heartache of losing a loved one and leaving them behind.