Everything is fine with us. Believe me, as an engineer we are better off
than most save the REMF's. No need to worry, your son is fine and I think
making a difference in this part of the world.
All my love I'll write again soon
M.
Mark Isfeld Smilcic Croatia May 4 94
Serb held territory (Kryjna)
to parents
Tell Glenn I said happy birthday. I don't have my address book yet,
it is still in transit. I don't have my itinerary for my flight home yet
either. I guess I'll arrive on the 28th Jun judging by others on leave at
the same time. I will be going to Split, Croatia on the 9th for three days
on R and R. and I will look for rock shops.
I'm on gate duty today. Our whole section is, actually. We did go
out to dispose of 400 Kilograms of mines and other shit in an old bauxite
mine. I found a couple of crystals but nothing real exciting as all the
rock in the pit is blasted. We had the Paffo with us as well as a guy from
the National Film Board of Canada, who is making a documentary. He is going
to give me a movie camera to film some of our mine clearing operations if
its possible. He wants me to try and get footage of the Serbs and Croats.
I have been a photographer fool out looking for that magic picture that will
get me a Pulitzer. I have a 35mm SLR with telescopic lens, black and white
135, slide and colour film. I want to try and get out with another section
as I'm tired of photographing my section only. The film is developed by the
army. Hopefully it turns out as I'm just learning to use this fancy camera.
I may get one when I come home.
I got your letter with poems and articles by grandpa. Great reading
and many memories.
Thanx.
We are pretty well set up in our new hotel. We have many resources
and much skill at our disposal, consequently many are envious and more want
to move in with us. We eat very well.
We have 4 cooks who do 4 day shifts, 2 at a time coming all the way from
Gracac, where we were located prior to moving here. They are paid 1.40
Deutsche Marks per hour by the UN. We also hired a lady to clean for us for
the same wages out of our troop fund. She worked her first day today but I
didn't meet her.
I met Col. Gauthier today. He wasn't as excited to meet me as his
mother in law was for me to meet him. He seemed like an OK guy. Still,
he's the big cheese, and I'm the acting Mcpl.
The farmers are all out in their fields toiling from sun up to sun down
pruning grapes, ploughing and planting, walking sheep and goats, totally
oblivious to the beauty they are creating. I will take some film of the view
we enjoy right from our balcony. Mountains, in the background with plots
set up neatly in the foreground, dotted with red tiled roofs. I can see an
old lady pruning right now who has been at it since 0700 and it is now 1630.
The weather is hot and will get hotter, but remember Kuwait!
I was bitten by a scorpion the other day, just a little fellow, but
not as bad as one might think, though it did leave a small bruise. Weasel
is here driving a truck. He says hello.
Well, that's about it for now. I'll let you in on my R and R next.
For now, your devoted son
Signing off
M.
. . . . Greg James is my section commander. He's a good guy and we get
along real good, he is a Newf. Together we made a massive discovery of ammo
and even a 50 calibre machine gun in the ZOS. There was three of us and we
thought we had finished finding all the mines and ammo that was cached and
left lying around, but we were getting ready to leave and had a Serb sign a
piece of paper saying it was OK to take all the shit. He seemed too eager
to let us have it, so we wandered around a bit more and voila! We found a
door we hadn't checked and it led to another.
We opened the door and we near shit! Pay-day! Jackpot! A room the size of
your living room packed with everything in cases from anti-tank rocket
launchers to mortars, 269 6mm mortars, 4000 rounds small arms ammo, 200 50
cal. incendiary rounds, 5000 anti aircraft rounds. The list goes on. Cases
of mines, anti - tank and anti - personnel with all the fixings. Plus to
top it off a machine gun.
The next thing you know our Serb friend says shit! And f---s off. So
we wait , radio for support and lock and load. Within 15 minutes we had
another Engineer section, a medic truck, and scads of infantry on location
with us.
While waiting for these to show up, Colonel Diakow and the RSM hear
what's going on, and make their way as well as my troop commander.
Shortly after our Serb friend f..Ed off he shows back up with the
local Serb commander who acted surprised to find the cache, then moments
later asked for his 50 cal. Back. I'm glad the Serbs didn't come back with
weapons cause we would have had to take those away too.
Anyway, we were the talk of the town for awhile and the Serbs were
pissed off big time. They threatened us and tried to deny access to the ZOS.
Some negotiations went on but in the end we keep the cache and they learn
the lesson.
I had my picture with John on the cover of the battalion paper and one
of my photos printed in it. The photo was of a sapper in my section who
found a PMA-3. He was pleased to have his picture in it.
Yesterday we had John Howse from Macleans magazine with us for the
day. He may be able to talk the editors into a story he said, but we found
no mines that day he wants to come with us again. There is a whole team of
reporters who are touring the whole battalion. We have them with us for 48
hrs starting today.
I will give you a copy of the battalion book when I get home. I have
a bunch of stuff for you as well as army stuff you can decide if you want or
not. Plus I made you an ashtray from 100mm tank round.
Anyway that's it for now forgive my messy writing but I'm writing on
my lap.
With love
Your son
M.. . .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Isfeld
And so ends the letters and life of one peacekeeper. One who had the
promise of an excellent career ahead of him. One who had the promise of a
very happy life with his beloved wife. One who can be seen from his letters
to have been tough yet gentle, brave yet careful, boisterous yet
conscientious. a loving, caring, hard working loyal soldier; loved and
cared for deeply by many.
Respect is not a word to be taken lightly. It is not something to be
purchased or asked for; it must be earned through deeds and action and
dedication to principles. The following letters and anecdotes should serve
to portray to the reader the measure of respect Mark
commanded. For, they come from those who knew him, loved him, and worked
with him.
On his first tour in Croatia, Mark had as a member of his section
Angeline Geiger of Victoria B.C., A reservist engineer. He mentioned her
occasionally in his letters or phone calls and she is as prevalent in the
videos he took as anyone. In one particular segment, Mark and Angeline are
clearing an area for the Nepalese peacekeepers.
While we were attending a ceremony in Victoria on the 9 Aug 94
honouring all of Canada's fallen peacekeepers, Angeline gave us a card with
the following written in it. She has since left the forces and is on her
way to Calgary to become a police officer.
Dear Mr and Mrs Isfeld
My name is Angeline Geiger, I was in Mark's section on his first tour
in Croatia. I've had a difficult time writing this as I don't know how it
is properly done. What is one supposed to say and how? I don't know but I
would like to say a few things.
Firstly, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy for the loss of your
son Mark. I was shocked and very upset. Mark was a special person. He was
the only one in my section that Icould go to talk to when I was troubled, he
always made me feel better.
Living like we did over there really brings a troop together, you get
to know each other quite well. Through our talks I learned a lot about Mark
and came to admire him. I admired his will to do good, to help others, and
his inner strength.
He had such a great sense of humour he would always make the troop
laugh, he could boost our morale at the worst of times. But at the same
time he was very serious about his job.
As you know, he was an excellent engineer and I am proud to have known and
worked with him.
I know you both must be very proud of Mark. Hold on to your
memories, they will always give you strength.
Sincerely
Angeline Geiger
letter from
John Payne
03 Aug 94
Oromocto N.B.
Dear Carol and Brian
I am very sorry that it has taken me so long in sending this video
tape to you. To be perfectly honest with you I found it difficult. I would
find a piece of tape with Mark in it and it brought back so many memories.
I would keep playing them over and over again. You will find that in many
of the segments Mark has his camera going and we end up taping each other.
Please, if there is only one segment of Mark's tapes that I would
truly love to have, it is the one where we stopped for lunch on the top of
the hill and met the old lady with her sheep. It was so nice. It felt like
we had stolen a few moments from old father time and were able to put
our task on hold and enjoy the countryside and it's people the way it should
be... Peaceful.
I must tell you this story and I hope you don't mind. When the funeral
service at the grave site had ended and all the people had gone, there were
seven engineers remaining. We all stood around Mark and just couldn't pull
ourselves away. It seemed like an eternity, but our memories of Mark were
interrupted when a tractor and two caretakers came over the hill. We turned
and stared at the machine and then back at each other.
Strangely, we all had the same thought at the same time. When the
tractor pulled up, we approached and asked if we could lower Mark. They
agreed and we each took turns lowering him.
When that was done, again we all looked at each other quietly, and still not
wanting to leave, asked the caretakers if they had any shovels. They did.
We all removed our tunics, rolled up our sleeves and did what we felt was
the honourable thing for Mark, Kelly and the children, you, Kelly's mom and
dad, his brothers, friends, and relatives and that motley group of soldiers
who never say no and never know when to quit, the Canadian Combat Engineers.
He meant so much to so many people and we could not stand by and let
strangers lay Mark to rest.
Brian and Carol, I will end here for now. You can rest assured that I
will always be close, by letter or phone. I pray this letter and tape finds
you all happy and healthy. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. The
engineers hold you very near and dear to our hearts.
Just as we did Mark....
Your friend always
John Payne
On to part 8
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