William H.A. Willbond MSM, CD

COLONEL MIKE DRAPEAU – THE SOLDIER’S FRIEND

Colonel Mike’s a guy I really like
Because he fights the status quo
He helped this vet and you can bet
Wenzel will receive his deserved dough

Guess it is about time I made a wee rhyme
To honour our Colonel Drapeau
Matt Stopford and the other guys
Have been cleared now too, you know!

©Copyright July 24, 2006 by William H.A. Willbond MSM, CD

WAR HERO FINALLY GETS HIS DUE

Bomber pilot to receive more than $1 million to right pension injustice

Peter Worthington
Peter WorthingtonBy PETER WORTHINGTON, Toronto Sun
July 24, 2006

An injustice committed 45 years ago to a wartime air force hero was finally corrected on Friday.

Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor phoned highly decorated World War II bomber pilot Cliff Wenzel of Brampton and told him $1,136,000 was to be awarded to him, to atone for denying him a reduced pension in 1961 because it was “not in the public interest.”

For 40 years Wenzel’s appeals were ignored or overruled, until retired Col. Michel Drapeau, now a lawyer with the Ottawa law firm of Barrick Poulsen, took his case.

Military Ombudsman Yves Cote also sided with Wenzel and his investigation found a great injustice had been done.