Stevie Szabad, Author

What is it about being 10-11 years old that is so magical? The older I get the more fondly I remember Goose Bay, Labrador. Here’s another excerpt about that favourite base (from “Camp Follower One Army Brat’s Story” by Michele Sabad :

“Now, for me, Goose Bay, Labrador was awesome, no matter what my parents thought of being banished to the frozen northern tundra. My grandmother had asked in a letter if they had houses for us or would we have to live in an igloo?
We lived right on the runway. Actually, really, right on the runway. We could walk up to the pavement of one of the runways. There were some scrubby northern woods in between our house and the runway, but that was it. In these years there was a large American air base in Goose Bay, as well as a British air squadron. There were many, many runways. And sometimes in the middle of the night, I would be awakened—first, by the bright white lights strobing up the walls of my room, then by rumbling earthquake vibrations, followed by screeching roaring B-52 bombers tearing in line down the runway behind our house. Only to suddenly stop as each plane cut its engine in turn. This would repeat over and over. I don’t know how many of these planes would be on this “Elephant Walk,” which was what these Cold War practice alerts and take-offs (without actually taking off) were called. You’d think it would have been tiresome—they were always in the middle of the night—but I found them thrilling and was disappointed when the drill ended for the night.”

Yes, a favourite memory for sure! More? see Books