Clinton News-Record, 1969-06-26, Page 11104th YEAR — NQ..20
Clinton N ew. - I.ecordi
CjriNTQN,{ ONTARIO THUfi.SDAY, J.UN6 26, 1969.
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Keeping fit is one of the prime factors with the Canadian Airborne Regimentas
brothers Roy, Bob and Tom McLean of Clinton demonstrate. The three are based with
,the regiment at CFB Edmonton.
Sgt. Bob .McLean takes a practice jump from the mock tower as Cpl. Tom McLean
looks on. The 40 -foot tower is used for training before jumping from aircraft.
The Mc Lean brothers
team up in triplicate
The name McLean .around the
Canadian Airborne Regiment at
CFB Edmonton, Alta. could
mean one of three things —
Captain Roy, Sergeant. Bob .or
Corporal Tom.
A year ago the three brothers
from Clinton were based across
the country: Roy, 24, with the
Air Support Signals Troop at
CFB Rivers, Man.; Bob, 30, with
the Queen's Own Rifles in
Victoria, B,C. and Tom, 24, with
the 2nd Signals Squadron at
Alert, N.W.T.
By coincidence and without
each other knowing, the
brothers all volunteered for the
airborne regiment when it was
formed last year. Then they met
one day in Edmonton. It is the
first time they have been based
together since joining the
service.
A rivalry has developed
among them over the number of
jumps each has made. Roy leads
with 95, then Tom with 4$ and
Bob with 21.. Tom and Bob
concede it won't be easy, but
say it will not be long before
they catch up with Roy,
The brothers, sons of Don and
• Dot McLean who' now live on
John Street in Clinton, grew up
on the family's farm in Hullett
Township and attended school
in Sumrnerhill and Clinton.
Another brother, Keith, 22, is
serving with the Princess
Patricia's Canadian Light
Infantry in Calgary and a sister,
Bonnie, 17, is living at home.
Letter -writing is made easy by
being on the same base. One
letter is written by their sister
and is just passed around. The
catch is that the one who
receives it must reply for all.
The three brothers are
CANADIAN FORCES PHOTOS
married and have their families
living in. Edmonton. The wives
get along well says Roy, only, the
brothers fight.
Roy, who has 1Q years
service, is second in command of
the Airborne .Signals Squadron.
Torn, with eight years, works for
brother Roy as a radio
technician. Bob, with 13 years,
is a medical assistant with the
Airborne Service Company.
"We are all jump crazy," Bob
said recently, adding "I kind of
thought we all might end up
doing something like this. We
used to practice jumping out of
a barn onto the hay when we
were kids."
Rumor has it that brother
Keith is going to volunteer for
duty with the regiment. "Then
the fights will really be fair, with
two of us on each side," Roy,
laughed.
It isn't as easy as it looks and training in ground control of parachutes is most
important with the Canadian Airborne Regiment, The McLean brothers show how it's
done.
Hand-to-hand combat is part of the rugged training schedule the men of the airborne
regiment practice. Sgt Bob McLean and brother, Tom, demonstrate a thrbtiv while
Capt. Roy referees,
a
0 The McLean brothers of the Canadian Airborne Regiment, based in Edmonton,
Alberta, left to tight, Cpl. Tom, Capt Roy and Sgt, Bob, are, sons of Mr. and Mrs, Don
McLean of Clinton,