Rangers Remembered

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Rangers Remembered

Travelling in the United States about ten years ago was the first time I received a “Thank you for your service”. I was at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, FL and I was about to receive four free tickets for admission to the park as a retired member of a foreign military. All I had to do was show my NDI 75 Record of Service Identification Card and I was IN, saving about $150 on tickets. At that time there was not much in the way of discounts in Canada for serving military, and even less for retired reservists, and the generosity of the Anheuser-Busch company was very much appreciated, as was the free beer at their “Beer School”, unfortunately now discontinued.

 

Learn more about deals for former veterans -

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Regimental Dining

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Regimental Dining

The Fine Art of Regimental Dining  - For the uninitiated, the term “mess dinner” may be confusing.  Why would anyone choose to eat in a mess?  Do people not clean up after themselves anymore?  Are military people that untidy?  The mystery lies in the word “mess”.  In military circles, a mess is a group, which dines together, a club.  The word “mess” comes to us through Old French from the Latin missus, – a course of a meal. 

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Fading Away? Not if we can help it!

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Fading Away? Not if we can help it!

What happens when a Ranger leaves the Regiment? It does happen you know and it’s generally called life. Yes, there IS a life outside the Regiment and sometimes it  gets in the way of even the most loyal Ranger: finishing school and moving on, moving out of town, getting a new job, a full time job or a more demanding role, getting married, starting a family, growing old, reaching the Compulsory Retirement Age …. Everyone eventually gets caught up in “life”.

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Move Fast .... Fight Dirty

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Move Fast .... Fight Dirty

We now know why the QYR are “Warriors of the Crescent Moon”.  As I recall, it has something to do with owls riding fiery steeds while shooting arrows during the Battle of Brandywine; but let’s move on.  What is this nonsense about moving fast and fighting dirty?  Another good question!

Remember the last blog?  We had a tie (no, not that kind of tie!) in our “Quotes for Tees” contest so the CO declared two winners.  Well the other winner was Julian Forbes with his submission of the “move fast” motto.  You can certainly see why the CO could not decide; this motto describes us today and reminds us of our past.  This takes a bit of explanation.

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Warriors of the Crescent Moon

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Warriors of the Crescent Moon

Like all military units, the Queen’s York Rangers (1st Americans) proudly continues a heritage from days gone by.  Traditionally, Rangers were intrepid souls who were wanderers and protectors of certain territories, of “ranges”.  They lived off the land, were loyal to their lords and could appear out of nowhere be it forest, mountain or meadow.  Such was the reputation of rangers already in the early 18th century when Major Robert Rogers, our first CO, formed his Rangers in the 1750s and then later led them against those unruly colonists who opted to leave His Majesty and form their own republic.  Just as all Rangers before and since, they have had a symbolic attachment to the crescent moon; we are all “warriors of the crescent moon”. But why?  Good question!

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