Rod White was born February 16, 1925 in Trenton, Ontario. Rod’s father died when he was only four, and some of his early memories are of his mother struggling to raise her seven children in difficult economic times. Rod left school after Grade 8, going to work and helping to support the family. Work took him out west, and in the early part of the war he worked in the Vancouver Shipyards, and his attempts to enlist were denied due to some previous health problems. He kept trying though, and eventually a doctor failed to recognize the Tuberculosis scars on his chest X-ray, and Rod found himself in the forces. Rod opted for the Royal Canadian Air Force and was sent for initial training as a mechanic. He was quickly sent overseas, and began work on air bases in England. As the war concluded, Rod was redeployed to Germany, where he was part of the Army of Occupation. He spent a year there, returning to Canada via Halifax. Back home, he joined the army reserve, and he ended up being stationed in Tanzania during the Cold War years. Help us celebrate Mr. White’s 95th birthday by listening to his story, recorded for posterity in the Crestwood Oral History Project archive.
