From the military to RCMP: officers share their stories

Remembrance Day has special meaning for RCMP, and on Friday, officers will take time to thank those who served with bravery giving the ultimate sacrifice serving Canada during times of war, conflict and peace.

The RCMP will be attending 12 Remembrance Day school assemblies on Thursday around Kelowna. Then on Friday, officers will be marching from Stuart Park to City Park ending at the Cenotaph for the Remembrance Day ceremony. Officers will also attend ceremonies in Rutland, Lake Country, West Kelowna and Peachland.

Currently there are 13 RCMP officers within the Kelowna detachment who served in the military. Each of them have stories of how their experiences in the military helped prepare them for a career of service with the RCMP.

One of the more exceptional stories within the detachment is that of Corporal Amadeo Vecchio. He is a general duty Kelowna RCMP officer who also has a very decorated military background. He has been promoted several times within the Canadian Armed Forces throughout his 40-year career and currently holds the senior rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Vecchio originally joined the military as a way to give back to the country that gave his family a new opportunity. His parents immigrated to Canada from Italy and Vecchio says it’s a bit of a cliché, but he wanted to show his appreciation for everything Canada has given him.

Over the course of his military career, Vecchio has seen duty in several places in Canada and around the world including peacekeeping missions with the United Nations in Cyprus. He was also part of a contingent that trained the Iraqi Police Service and was also a member of the “Last Battle Group/Contingent” in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012.

“It’s important to remember the sacrifices made in the various conflicts that Canadians have been involved with,” said Vecchio. “Reflecting on Remembrance Day also reminds us what we don’t want to see coming down the road for us and the next generation. We remember the sacrifices made and hold our liberty and security as our vital ground.

Today Vecchio is the Commanding Officer of the Rocky Mountain Rangers which is the Reserve Infantry Regiment, part of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group BC, 3rd Canadian Division, Western Canada. He is also protecting the streets of Kelowna as part of Watch 3, serving as an RCMP officer for the past 33-years.

Constable Federico Angulo was a sergeant in the Canadian military, retiring after 15 years. He has been an RCMP officer for the last 11 years.

Angulo has an incredible story of service deployed to several places around the world. In 2003, he was in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force.

The following year in 2004, he was one of four Canadian Air Force members selected to attend the annual ANZAC celebrations in Sydney/Canberra Australia. Tens of thousands of people lined a parade route and over 22,000 veterans marched through the heart of Sydney and Angulo was one of them.

Then in 2007, he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led multinational combat mission.

Angulo speaks to the importance of taking time to reflect on the sacrifices of our veterans.

“Remembrance Day is personal to me since I have lost some friends during my service,” Angulo said. “For me, it is important to remember those who volunteered to go and help in a way that not everyone is willing to do. It is also important to me to remember those who did return home but continue to struggle with the memories of war and tragedy.”