Larry George Wong was conscripted in 1944. He ended up serving with the Edmonton Fusiliers and was the only soldier of Chinese origin.

Larry did his basic training in Halifax and shared a funny story about how cold it was on the east coast. Even with four blankets, Larry complained he was bitterly cold at night. So somebody mentioned a solution: layer newspaper in between the blankets. Larry did that and finally had a good night’s sleep.

After basic training Larry was transferred to a regiment called the Edmonton Fusiliers and sent to Newfoundland. He stayed in Newfoundland for roughly six months, and then the war was declared over.

The regiment broke up and Larry was shipped to Winnipeg, to the Princess Patricia’s. He spent the winter there and recalled another cold weather incident. One morning, while standing at attention, Larry found out that that one of his ears was frozen. He did not know it at the time, but the sergeant noticed that Larry’s ears had turned white. For the next 20 years after that, every spring Larry’s ears would itch.

Listen to Larry Wong’s story, told in his own words.

Larry Wong, Edmonton Fusiliers

Larry Wong on guard duty