Emo man off to Kosovo

John Rose of Emo doesn’t know what to expect until he arrives in Kosovo with the second group of 250 men of the First Battalion Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, which left for the Balkans from Edmonton, Alta. today.
The first group of 250 left Edmonton at the end of July.
“John is looking forward to serving in Kosovo,” said his mother, Margaret Bender.
“It’s going to be exciting,” he said.
The family, including sisters, Jennifer, April, and Lisa, are just keeping their fingers crossed while he is serving a six-month tour in Kosovo until February.
“We are definitely going to keep John in our prayers for his safety,” said his mother.
But even though the situation in Kosovo is still dangerous, the family is comfortable that all will go well. “What else is there to do but hope,” Bender added.
A graduate of FFHS, Rose took Architectural Drafting at Confederation College in Thunder Bay but couldn’t find a job in this field. So he decided to join the army, and wound up with the 1st PPCLI in Edmonton in April, 1998.
It was not easy to join the armed forces. Out of 350 applicants across Canada, only 70 were selected, including three from Northwestern Ontario (Emo, Red Lake, and Ear Falls).
Rose noted they had to pass strict physical and mental tests, plus they had to obtain three references from previous employers on their character and work habits.
Bender moved here from Ignace with her family in 1986 after her husband from Burriss was killed in a bush accident in 1983. Her son completed his high school studies here, and was active in all outdoor sports.
“A typical outdoor sportsman,” she noted, adding he had joined and loved various sports, with his favourite being hockey.
He recently spent three weeks’ leave visiting relatives at Ignace, Thunder Bay, and Emo before returning to Edmonton to join his unit.