Interview with Randy Morriss
Narrator: Randy Morriss Interviewer: Justin Lucoe Extent: One audio and visual recording mp4. Length is 0:57:30. 8.28GB. Interview Date and Location: March 11 2024, Sooke, British Columbia, Canada. Synopsis: Interview begins with a brief description of entering military service and overall career in the armed forces, including final rank achieved and medals awarded. Followed by background questions regarding the UN tour in Ismailia Egypt, such as the main goals of the UNEF II mission, size and composition of the contingent and previous knowledge or beliefs. Mission specific questions followed regarding daily life, interactions with locals, challenges and successes, and accomplishment of goals. Next were questions regarding the thoughts on the deployment in hindsight, current situation in the Middle East and connections drawn between the two, and overall success of the mission. Ended with post career questions about service in the armed forces, biggest lessons learned, favourite memories and advice for young soldiers. 0:00:06 - 0:02:18 - Introduction, growing up in Rolphton Ontario, family military history, enlistment in Logistics trade. 0:02:18 - 0:07:38 - Regular Officer Training Plan at McMaster University, training in Ontario, description of overall career postings, rank and medals. 0:07:38 - 0:11:56 - Description of UNEF II mission, members and size of contingent, personal role and living conditions, promotion while deployed. 0:11:56 - 0:17:20 - Previous knowledge of the area, detailed history or previous wars, preconceived beliefs and views. 0:17:20 - 0:27:28 - Daily life, living conditions, properly equipped prior to mission, rest and relaxation time travel to Egypt and Israel. 0:27:28 - 0:34:50 - Interaction with Israelis, Egyptians and local workers. Polish engineers transporting equipment, UN mess on base and Canadian barracks. 0:34:50 - 0:39:15 - Biggest challenges encountered, cultural differences, first contingent of CAF women on UN tour, views on success of goals. 0:39:15 - 0:46:55 - Overall views of deployment, changes in personal beliefs, differences between Egypt and Israel, prevention of digging trenches, mission success in the short term. Shooting of Egyptian troops in the buffer zone. 0:46:55 - 0:51:05 - Connections to present day, interaction with Israeli home guard, change of opinion with recent events, possibility of future solution. 0:51:05 - 0:57:30 - Overall experience in the CAF, biggest lessons learned, lasting memories from deployment, advice for young soldiers, solutions for recruitment problems. Suggested Clips for Archive: 0:28:16 - 0:28:45 - Seeing the Egyptian Army camped out in the middle of the desert after following a food resupply truck. 0:31:42 - 0:32:42 - Large number of Polish officer casualties due to head-on collisions while transporting equipment from Alexandira to Ismailia. 0:36:25 - 0:37:25 - First Canadian military women deployed on the UN mission. 0:44:50 - 0:45:40 - Egyptian officer and radio operator shot by Finnish UN infantry while setting up an observation post in the buffer zone.
- In Collection:
- Interview #SC141_MR_929
- 00:57:30
- Canadian UN Peacekeeping in the Middle East
- 33.13906, 35.85869
- 27, 30
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- Accession Number: 2025-002; Series 9; Item: 929
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2024. Recorded in digital format by interviewer. Keywords supplied by interviewer. Metadata by KD.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI