To his friends, he was affectionately known as 香蕉视频直播楽nowball香蕉视频直播�; to others, simply 香蕉视频直播楪illes香蕉视频直播�. But for most folks, Cpl. Joseph Lucien Gilles Dechamplain is a stranger 香蕉视频直播� a name lost to the passage of time.
Hoping to steer Dechamplain's name back into the public consciousness is a new memorial bench in Colwood香蕉视频直播檚 Royal Bay neighbourhood, honouring a life of service and a story worth remembering.
Forty-two years ago, Dechamplain was undergoing training in Colwood to become a navy clearance diver, as part of the Pacific fleet diving unit.
During a training exercise in waters off Albert Head on Feb. 10, 1983, the 25-year-old was involved in a diving accident.
His body was never recovered.
Sitting on the new memorial bench, located on a hill behind Royal Bay Secondary School, retired navy clearance diver Danny Bewsher stares out to the ocean between Esquimalt Lagoon and the Olympic Mountain range 香蕉视频直播� he remembers the day well.
香蕉视频直播淎ll I gotta do is close my eyes and I'm there again,香蕉视频直播� says the Langford resident.
Waiting in choppy waters with a fellow trainee, Bewsher recalls the pair joking around as they waited for a boat to pick them up.
香蕉视频直播淲e were being young dumb boneheads," he says. "We didn't think about how we could whack our heads on the rocks."
But when the boat arrived, the mood quickly changed.
香蕉视频直播淭hey told us, 香蕉视频直播榃e can't find Snowball or Gonzo,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 Bewsher remembers.
Gonzo 香蕉视频直播� another trainee 香蕉视频直播� surfaced not long after, barely coherent. He later explained to Bewsher and the crew what had happened beneath the waves.
At a depth of about 20 feet, Dechamplain began to show signs of distress. Gonzo tried to help, but both men sank quickly.
香蕉视频直播淪nowball went from flailing to dead weight,香蕉视频直播� says Bewsher. 香蕉视频直播淕onzo looked at his depth gauge 香蕉视频直播� they were around 75 feet.香蕉视频直播�
At that depth, the oxygen in their tanks starts to become toxic, explains Bewsher, so Gonzo had no choice: let go or die trying.
"Being in that kind of water, Gonzo had to cut away to save himself, and get back on the top,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Because of strong currents, "sometimes up to seven knots," Bewsher believes his friend's body was quickly swept out into the deep ocean.
香蕉视频直播淭here was never any closure for his family at all, that香蕉视频直播檚 the most heartbreaking thing for me,香蕉视频直播� he says.
The tragedy still lingers in the mind of Bewsher and the others who were in training alongside Dechamplain. More than four decades later, the group remains tightly connected.
香蕉视频直播淚t kept us a closer group,香蕉视频直播� says Bewsher. 香蕉视频直播淭hey are like brothers.香蕉视频直播�
The group have been kicking themselves that the memorial bench was not their idea, says Bewsher.
"But I told the guys that we've got to remember, we don't have trouble forgetting 香蕉视频直播� that's our problem, we can't," he said. "It's other people that need to be reminded."
Behind the idea is Colwood resident Ken Ramsay and another local, who has a connection to Dechamplain.
Ramsay, also a retired navy clearance diver, began his service the year after Dechamplain香蕉视频直播檚 accident.
香蕉视频直播淗is death was not lost on us 香蕉视频直播� we had always hoped that someday we would find his body, or at least his dive gear,香蕉视频直播� he said.
But without a grave or permanent public memorial, Ramsay and his pal feared Dechamplain香蕉视频直播檚 sacrifice was at risk of being forgotten 香蕉视频直播� remembered only by those who were there.
香蕉视频直播淚t was almost as if he was erased from time,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淪o we wanted to find a place where friends could visit, sit, and reflect on his loss.
"It's long overdue, but it's never too late to recognize these people."
A short-lived fundraiser 香蕉视频直播� thanks to the overwhelming support of Bewsher and pals 香蕉视频直播� garnered over $1,400 for the bench.
And with the help of Colwood's public works operations assistant Heather Metcalf, a spot for the bench was found on the trail behind Royal Bay Secondary.
The project took a matter of weeks.
香蕉视频直播淚 don't think they could have picked a nicer spot,香蕉视频直播� says Bewsher.
香蕉视频直播淜enny could have gave me a winning lottery ticket and I wouldn't be any happier than what they did here 香蕉视频直播� I couldn't be any more blown away.香蕉视频直播�
While the bench stirs painful memories for Bewsher, it also brings moments of joy 香蕉视频直播� reminders of a best friend gone too soon.
Dechamplain was young, carefree 香蕉视频直播� a man who enjoyed life, the outdoors and hanging out with friends, says Bewsher.
He also had a great sense of humour. Something that came in handy for the Quebecer, whose imperfect grasp of the English language was often the butt of good-natured teasing.
香蕉视频直播淭hat's why he and I were friends,香蕉视频直播� says Bewsher. 香蕉视频直播淗e would say, 香蕉视频直播業 don香蕉视频直播檛 speak one official language and you, being from Cape Breton, don't speak either official language 香蕉视频直播� you don't speak English or French.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
As for why Dechamplain landed the nickname 香蕉视频直播楽nowball香蕉视频直播�, Bewsher points to his 香蕉视频直播渟now white hair香蕉视频直播� and fair complexion.
香蕉视频直播淭he only dark thing on him was probably the soles of his shoes,香蕉视频直播� he jokes.
香蕉视频直播淚 used to joke with him and tell him that he shouldn't drink red Kool Aid 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播榊ou香蕉视频直播檙e going to look like a thermometer, people can see through you,' I would tell him.香蕉视频直播�
Never one to blow his own horn, Bewsher thinks Dechamplain would be embarrassed by the thought of a memorial bench in his honour, but also very grateful.
"And hey, I think Snowball would kind of find this spot interesting,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 overlooking a sports field, so he can watch sports all day 香蕉视频直播� something he loved to do 香蕉视频直播� so I think he'd think this is a fitting tribute.香蕉视频直播�
What Bewsher wishes most though, is that Dechamplain香蕉视频直播檚 parents had lived to see the recognition of their son's life.
香蕉视频直播淭hey're the ones who probably needed something like this the most,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚 don't know if the family ever knew what we thought of him.香蕉视频直播�
Still, Bewsher holds some hope that word of the memorial will reach a long-lost relative in Quebec, or perhaps someone a little closer to home in B.C.
The two best friends first met while serving as field engineers in Chilliwack 香蕉视频直播� Bewsher remembers his buddy had a sister who lived nearby.
He doesn香蕉视频直播檛 know her name, or if she still lives there. 香蕉视频直播淏ut I hope that somehow she gets to hear about this,香蕉视频直播� he says.