Jean Berthiaume

Jean André Berthiaume was born on November 27, 1915, in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec. He studied at the Séminaire de St-Hyacinthe, where he earned a degree in letters and arts. He then pursued another degree at the Université de Montréal, where he got a degree in chemistry.

At the same time his father was serving at the Regiment, Jean Berthiaume enlisted with the 84th Régiment de St-Hyacinthe in 1936. There completed his basic training as a private and rose to the rank of sergeant. Later he received his officer commission and was promoted to lieutenant.

He married Mme Denise Lapierre on April 14, 1940, at the St-Hyacinthe Cathedral.

As the war broke out, then Lieutenant Berthiaume continued training his troops in St-Hyacinthe. He was transferred to the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade at camp Debert in Nova Scotia for preparatory training as GSO with the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade. He then went to the Canadian Army Command and Staff College in Kingston and after shipped to England. Most of the Canadians in reinforcement stayed in England for almost two years (1942–1944) until D-Day. When arriving in France, as GSO 3 Operations,[1] then captain Berthiaume aided in the orientation of some operations towards the ultimate victory. By the end of the conflict, he was transferred to the 1st Canadian Infantry Division.

On April 26, 1946, then captain Berthiaume was posted to NDHQ as GSO 2 and the next day was promoted to the rank of Temporary major (T/maj). On November 22, 1947,[2] he was promoted to the rank of major.[3]

After three years in Ottawa, then major Berthiaume went to the Canadian Army Training School in St-Jean, Quebec, in 1949. He managed the Canadian Army Training School in St-Jean[4] before it was transferred to Valcartier in 1952.

He stayed and contributed to the building of the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean as Director of Administration.

An uncommon event occurred a few days after Christmas in 1952. A child of one of the CMR's staff fell into the icy waters of the Richelieu river. Upon hearing the child's cry for help, the CMR commandant, colonel Lahaie went onto the ice to rescue the boy, assisted by Captain Gosselin and Major Berthiaume. Others came along as the alarm was sounded. They were all pulled to safety; the child was saved.[5]

Major Berthiaume left St-Jean for Valcartier in 1953 and went to the 2nd Battalion Royal 22^e Régiment as deputy commander. He packed the battalion and headed for Germany as Canada's NATO infantry contribution.[6] After setting up over with the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade,[7] he still was very involved within the military community like in the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of Normandy where he commanded the Canadian group during the weekend long celebrations.[8] In July 1954, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was chosen as the Canadian representative at the SHAPE in Paris for a year.[9]

Back in Canada, Lcol Berthiaume in 1957, took command of the 1st battalion Royal 22^e Régiment until 1960. He was a true gentleman in sharing the warm French-Canadian culture as host of many social functions at the Citadelle.[10][11]

Leaving Quebec in early summer of 1960, LCol Berthiaume was flown to work with the UNTSO in Palestine. Soon after, in July 1960,[12] he headed to Congo as a United Nation chief of staff of the ONUC[13] contingent.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

LCol J.A.Berthiaume in Congo 1960

Back in Canada, he went to serve as adjutant general at the Quebec Command HQ. Promoted to the rank of colonel, he commanded the Quebec Western District[23][24] until his retirement in 1969. During those years, he commanded the Royal Army Cadet Camp of Farnham that closed in 1967.[25]

Upon leaving the service in 1969, Colonel (Ret.) Berthiaume went to work for the Wabasso company[26][27] in Trois-Rivières, Quebec as Director of Operations Services until his retirement in 1980. During those years, he became involved with the Canadian Manufacturers Association as president of the St. Maurice chapter.[28][29]

Colonel (Ret.) Berthiaume was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #2 of St-Hyacinthe with which he was devoted in many aspects.

Colonel Berthiaume continued his involvement and contribution to the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean throughout the years.[30] He always proved a good golf player at the annual benefit golf tournament and other activities.[31]

In St-Hyacinthe, he was a devoted contributor to the Honoré-Mercier hospital's foundation.

Col (Ret.) Berthiaume congratulating a cadet

During the final years of his active career, Colonel Berthiaume commanded the Royal Army Cadet Camp of Farnham that closed in 1967.

He was particularly close to the Army Cadets Corps No.1 from his hometown. In the mid-1990s, he donated several musical instruments to found a band created for children to play in. Organizers agreed to call it "La musique J. A. Berthiaume."

After World War 2, Jean Berthiaume received the MID for his outstanding services.[32][33]

For his devotion in the creation of the CMR St-Jean, Colonel Berthiaume was given an honorary college number: H12878.

Colonel J. A. Berthiaume was invested into the Order of the British Empire in 1962 for his impressive organizational skills, initiative, linguistic ability, unmatched negotiating skills and his bravery during the ONUC mission in Congo.[34][35] He was the first Canadian officer to be given that recognition since the Second World War.[36]

In 1969 he was nominated in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem as Officier.[37] In 1977, he was promoted to Knight of the Order.[38]

Military medals of J.A. Berthiaume

The city of St-Hyacinthe consecrated one of its streets' name in his memory in 2006.[39]

Headstone of Col J. A. Berthiaume and his wife Denise Lapierre in St-Hyacinthe

In 2003 after his last short battle with a secretly kept illness, Colonel (Ret.) Jean André Berthiaume was laid to rest in St-Hyacinthe, with full military honours. His wife Denise died in 2010.[40][41]

Books in which Colonel Berthiaume has either contributed to or is mentioned in include:

• Canada, the Congo Crisis, and UN Peacekeeping, 1960–64[42]
• Pearson's Peacekeepers: Canada and the United Nations Emergency Force, 1956-67[43]
• Le Canada dans les guerres en Afrique centrale: génocides et pillages des ressources minières du Congo par le Rwanda interposé[44]
• Le Collège militaire Royal de Saint-Jean, Une université à caractère différent[45]
• Canadian Defence Quarterly, Volume 22[46]
• In the eye of the storm: a history of Canadian peacekeeping[47]
• Biographies canadiennes-françaises[48]
• Uncertain mandate; politics of the U.N. Congo operation[49]
• De Rivière-de-la-Paix au maintien de la paix: les batailles d'un Franco Albertain[50]
• Chronique de politique étrangère, Volume 14[51]
• Evolution de la crise congolaise de septembre 1960 à avril 1961[52]
• Revue générale pour l'humaniste des temps nouveaux[53]
• United Nations Peacekeeping, 1946-1967[54]
• Soldiering for Peace[55]
• Canadian House of Commons Debates, Official Report, Volume 7[56]