Today, Thomas Young calls Parkland West Bedford home, but his story starts nearly a century ago. Born in the 1920s, he was the oldest of five children. Like many families, they struggled during the Great Depression. When he was in ninth grade, his father went overseas to fight in World War II. “I figured I should quit school to help my mother with the kids. I was only 13, and I did that,” he recalls. At such a young age, well-paying jobs were out of reach. “I was just a kid.”
In 1941, at age 15, he tried to join the Army by lying about his age. Of course, they knew. They put him in the reserve army, where he served for two years. At 17, he volunteered for the regular force, becoming a boy soldier. “I still wanted to be a foot soldier and go overseas, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t 19 yet.” The war ended before he could go.
In October 1945, he left the Army and joined the Navy a month later. In the 1950s, during the Korean War, he served aboard HMCS Nootka. That mission took him around the world, through the Panama Canal to Hawaii, Japan, Singapore, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean, Gibraltar, and back to Halifax. “We were only the second Canadian warship ever to circumnavigate the globe,” he recalls with satisfaction.
He would serve in the Navy for 22 years, completing countless courses and earning multiple qualifications. Rising to Chief Petty Officer, the highest enlisted rank, he later transitioned to the federal government. “The Navy prepared me well,” he recalls with pride.
Life in the Navy
War brings hard times. One of his hardest memories was watching an enemy soldier drown in front of him rather than accept help, fearing capture by the North Koreans. Another takes him to the ship’s engine room, hearing the thunder of the guns and feeling the deck shudder with every shot. And then there were the bitterly cold days at sea, when his feet felt frozen solid. “No wonder my bones are aching today,” he says.
Ships were far from comfortable. He recalls that during the Korean War, 99 men slept in hammocks in tight quarters, and rats were common. “It was a hardship,” he admits. Years later, asbestos exposure cost him part of a lung.
But there were also moments of joy and camaraderie. Laughing, he recalls some of the crazy things they did, like going to the beach and swimming nude, and getting arrested in Hong Kong after chasing a shipmate who was trying to escape in a rickshaw. “Sailors will be sailors,” he says with a grin, then, after a pause, with nostalgia, adds, “that was a way of blowing off steam from the hard times.”
For Tom, some of his fondest memories are the places he visited, and of course, the happiest moment was meeting his wife on a Halifax dance floor. Drawn by the sound of country music, he entered the venue and sat next to another sailor. He said, “Let’s ask those two girls over there to dance, and I said, okay, I’ll ask the one in the polka dots. And here I am with her, 70 years later.” They built a family together with their son and daughter.
Quilt of Valour and Other Recognitions
Over the years, Tom has been honoured with awards such as the Ambassador for Peace Medal from the Korean Embassy and the Quilt of Valour, a handmade gift presented to Canadian Armed Forces members injured during service, symbolizing gratitude and respect for their sacrifice. “It means a lot to me. It feels good to be recognized for what I did. I don’t regret my time in the service.”
He is proud to be a veteran and to wear the medals that represent his 22 years of service to his country, hoping more young people will join the Navy “to make us stronger as a nation.” “It’s hard. It’s a job, but at the same time, it’s a duty. You must see it that way.”
When asked if he would change anything, he confidently replies: “I’d do it all over again. I don’t see why I wouldn’t.”
Tom Young’s life is a testament to the highest values of service. His courage inspires us, his humility moves us, and his story will live on in the hearts of all who have the privilege of knowing him and sharing this community with him. Today, at 99 years old, his unbreakable spirit continues to shine, a reminder of the strength, loyalty, and quiet dignity that define a true veteran.
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