Gerard (Gerry) Ratchford might be 95, but he isn’t ready to retire any time soon.
The security commissionaire at CFB Esquimalt’s Fleet Maintenance Facility has scaled back, however, to three days a week, although he celebrated his birthday this year by working a 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. shift.
Ratchford, who is known for his keen powers of observation, said while he has no plans to quit, he’ll know when to go. “My body will tell me when it’s time to quit.”
He formally retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1993 after 40 years of service.
His dedication to the military goes back to when he was 12 and chosen to be the regimental mascot for the Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles in Vancouver.
A newspaper clipping from 1941 tells how he had his own uniform, knew how to “present arms” and had marched in step for hundreds of miles with his adopted regiment.
Some of his memorabilia from those early days are displayed in regimental museums across Canada.
After a stint with the Canadian Merchant Navy, Ratchford joined the Canadian Army in 1952, serving with the 1st Battalion Queens own Rifles of Canada and the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, among others.
His tours of duty included being a member of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) serving in Korea and being part of Canada’s United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus in 1970 and 1971.
He has been awarded 10 medals, including a Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (Korea), and a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
In 1980, he joined the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, which has a mandate is to provide meaningful employment for veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police, fire and ambulance.
While the not-for-profit company does not keep statistics or divulge the age of its employees, he is recognized as the oldest serving in the security company’s British Columbia and Yukon region — and most likely in Canada.
“At the Commissionaires, we offer meaningful work, support, camaraderie and a sense of belonging for veterans who choose to join us — regardless of age,” said Mark Breslauer, CEO of the Victoria, the Islands and Yukon division of the national organization. “Employers, which include government and commercial clients, recognize that the candidates we offer them for their security needs possess the training, discipline and commitment to duty and service that they are looking for.”
Breslauer said that the leadership, teamwork and discipline developed through military service are transferable skills — and highly valued in the security industry.
Although the organization has traditionally been known for employing older veterans and reservists, it has also opened its doors to younger people with technology skill sets, accepting applications from candidates as young as 18.
Regardless of their age, those who join will find free security training and a flexible work environment, one that accommodates an individual’s desired work-life balance.
In his spare time, Ratchford works on jigsaw puzzles or delves into genealogy, having traced his family tree back to County Mayo, Ireland and beyond.
He recently received two awards to commemorate his 43 years of service with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires — the National Commissionaires Distinguished Service Medal and the Board of Governors Commendation plaque.
As for what kind of threat he poses to an unwanted visitor to Dockyard, Ratchford isn’t worried. Holding up his cane, he joked: “I’ll bonk him over the head with this.”
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