{"id":16414,"date":"2025-08-11T15:51:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T18:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/?p=16414"},"modified":"2025-10-20T09:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T12:36:15","slug":"a-veterans-journey-thomas-young","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/en\/blog\/2025\/08\/11\/a-veterans-journey-thomas-young\/","title":{"rendered":"A Veteran\u2019s Journey: The Life of Thomas Young"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p>Today, Thomas Young calls <a href=\"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/en\/locations\/parkland-west-bedford\/\">Parkland West Bedford<\/a> 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. \u201cI figured I should quit school to help my mother with the kids. I was only 13, and I did that,\u201d he recalls. At such a young age, well-paying jobs were out of reach. \u201cI was just a kid.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>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. \u201cI still wanted to be a foot soldier and go overseas, but I couldn\u2019t because I wasn\u2019t 19 yet.\u201d The war ended before he could go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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. \u201cWe were only the second Canadian warship ever to circumnavigate the globe,\u201d he recalls with satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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. \u201cThe Navy prepared me well,\u201d he recalls with pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Life in the Navy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:35% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/thumbnail_IMG_2587-rotated.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16419 size-full\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/thumbnail_IMG_2587-rotated.jpg 480w, https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/thumbnail_IMG_2587-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>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\u2019s 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. \u201cNo wonder my bones are aching today,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ships were far from comfortable. He recalls that during the Korean War, 99 men slept in hammocks in tight quarters, and rats were common. \u201cIt was a hardship,\u201d he admits. Years later, asbestos exposure cost him part of a lung.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>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. \u201cSailors will be sailors,\u201d he says with a grin, then, after a pause, with nostalgia, adds, \u201cthat was a way of blowing off steam from the hard times.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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, \u201cLet&#8217;s ask those two girls over there to dance, and I said, okay, I&#8217;ll ask the one in the polka dots. And here I am with her, 70 years later.\u201d They built a family together with their son and daughter.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quilt of Valour and Other Recognitions&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top\" style=\"grid-template-columns:46% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1008\" height=\"1008\" src=\"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ThomasYoungfamily.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16421 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ThomasYoungfamily.jpg 1008w, https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ThomasYoungfamily-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ThomasYoungfamily-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ThomasYoungfamily-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ThomasYoungfamily-307x307.jpg 307w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>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. \u201cIt means a lot to me. It feels good to be recognized for what I did. I don\u2019t regret my time in the service.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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 \u201cto make us stronger as a nation.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s hard. It\u2019s a job, but at the same time, it\u2019s a duty. You must see it that way.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked if he would change anything, he confidently replies: \u201cI\u2019d do it all over again. I don\u2019t see why I wouldn\u2019t.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tom Young&#8217;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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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. \u201cI figured I&#8230; <a class=\"read_more\" title=\"A Veteran\u2019s Journey: The Life of Thomas Young\" href=\"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/en\/blog\/2025\/08\/11\/a-veterans-journey-thomas-young\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":16415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"class_list":["post-16414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-day-in-the-life"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_0646-scaled.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Laura Barrett","author_link":"https:\/\/experienceparkland.com\/en\/blog\/author\/laura\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Veteran\u2019s Journey: The Life of Thomas Young - Parkland Retirement Living<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the inspiring life of veteran Thomas Young. 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