Sinclair, Reuben

Reuben Sinclair was born December 5, 1911, and students had the chance to do a zoom interview with him in October 2021, making him the oldest veteran we have interviewed for this project – 109 years old at the time!  Reuben grew up in the small farming community of Lipton, born to Jewish parents who had left Russia in 1904.  Reuben went to school and worked on the farm, and when the Great Depression came the family had to sell off the land and move to Regina.  While working there the war came along, and Reuben decided to join the RCAF.  He was diagnosed with flat feet and was unable to serve overseas, but he found his place in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and served his war on the home front.  His wife Ida accompanied him to his various posts, as they had married December 25, 1940.  Reuben served in the control tower at the Saskatoon BCATP base, teaching the pilots the difficult task of nighttime take-offs and landings, a skill they would need in wartime Britain.  Reuben did most of his wartime service in Saskatchewan, but at war’s end he was transferred to British Columbia.  Not too long after he was discharged, he and his brothers went into business there.  Reuben and his wife later headed to California, where they stayed until the 1990s.  Reuben lived the 20th century, the very subject the students are studying as history right now, and they were fortunate to hear his insights!