Oral Virtue first met Newfoundland-based Canadian soldiers as a child growing up in Jamaica, never forgetting their friendliness, openness and the way they spoke this 害羞草研究所渇unky foreign language.害羞草研究所�

More than five decades later, Virtue, 61, recalls a lifetime of service as a soldier while viewing the Black History Month exhibition at the Military Museums in Calgary.

害羞草研究所淚t never left my heart. Up to this day, I can still remember seeing those first Canadians (in Jamaica),害羞草研究所� Virtue said in an interview.

害羞草研究所淭hey are so polite, so nice. But we can害羞草研究所檛 understand a single word they害羞草研究所檙e saying because they害羞草研究所檙e speaking this funky, foreign language,害羞草研究所� he said with a laugh.

Memories of the Maple Leaf meshed with Virtue害羞草研究所檚 family history and his innate love of all things military.

His father served in the Second World War with Great Britain.

Virtue and his family moved to Ontario, and Virtue eventually joined the Canadian Armed Forces, serving on deployments in Cyprus, Bosnia and elsewhere in Europe before retiring in 2007 from the Lord Strathcona害羞草研究所檚 Horse armoured regiment.

Virtue said while everyone was supposed to serve as equals, shoulder to shoulder, he signed up with his eyes wide open as a Black man.

害羞草研究所淚 wasn害羞草研究所檛 blind to what was happening,害羞草研究所� Virtue said.

害羞草研究所淚 was definitely aware of the racism.

害羞草研究所淲hen I joined, there were a couple of guys that were from the Caribbean, and they talked to me about what I should expect. Their experience paved the way for me.害羞草研究所�

Allan Ross, a volunteer researcher who curates the Black History Month exhibit, said the roots of military service for Black Canadians dates back two centuries 害羞草研究所� helping the British fight off the Americans in the War of 1812 and assisting in stopping the rebellion in Upper Canada in 1837.

Canada害羞草研究所檚 first Black physician, Anderson Abbott, served in the U.S. Civil War, he added. Abbott was also an attending physician to U.S. president Abraham Lincoln.

Ross said any underlying racism became glaringly obvious during the Boer War in South Africa from 1899 to 1902 害羞草研究所� a conflict that saw 7,000 Canadians volunteer for service alongside British forces.

Ethnic soldiers, said Ross, were eager to enlist but were turned away, given the prevailing sentiment that they would not fight or would falter when bullets started flying.

害羞草研究所淲e first hear the term, 害羞草研究所業t害羞草研究所檚 a white man害羞草研究所檚 war害羞草研究所� in the Boer War,害羞草研究所� said Ross.

As Canada害羞草研究所檚 participation in conflict continued, discrimination marched in lockstep.

Many Black Canadians were turned away from serving in the First World War, although they were eventually allowed in 害羞草研究所� not to fight but to work in service roles.

An all-Black battalion, the No. 2 Construction Battalion, was formed in Nova Scotia and was dispatched to France in 1917 to provide lumber for trenches, roads and railways.

In the Second World War, air force and navy officials feared Black soldiers would struggle aboard ships and planes, said Ross.

害羞草研究所淭hey thought the tight confines of an airplane or in a ship might cause conflict or disagreement with some of the other men.害羞草研究所�

Ross said acceptance was better in later conflicts in Korea, the Baltics and Afghanistan. The will of Black Canadians to serve has remained strong throughout.

害羞草研究所淲hy did these men want to fight?害羞草研究所� said Ross.

害羞草研究所淭hey wanted to say, 害羞草研究所榃e害羞草研究所檙e Canadians as well. We害羞草研究所檙e all in this together and we want to prove we are part of this greater group.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Virtue said history, in some ways, still repeats itself.

Female soldiers later experienced what Black soldiers went through when it came to combat roles, he said.

害羞草研究所淲hen I was in (CFB) Cornwallis, we had females in our platoons, and they were promised combat roles. Not a single one of them got it,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淵ears later, I went to Europe and I came back, and then we had the very first females inside our vehicles.

害羞草研究所淭hey did end up having a very, very hard time,害羞草研究所� he added.

害羞草研究所淒iscrimination is discrimination.害羞草研究所�

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Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press