Marine on leave attacked in Manitoba bar

[PPCLI MCpl]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/05/10/manitoba-marine050510.html

Marine on leave attacked in Manitoba bar

Last Updated Tue, 10 May 2005 12:19:18 EDT
CBC News
THE PAS, MAN. - A Manitoba man who survived seven months with the U.S. marines in Iraq is fighting for his life after spending three days back in his home province.

Cpl. Leonard Anderson was out with friends Monday night when a fight started inside a bar in The Pas, about 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.    
 
Anderson's mother, Marlene Starr, said her son was watching the scuffle when he was attacked from behind by a man. His lung was punctured and his kidney and liver were cut with what is believed to be a machete.

He was flown to a hospital in Winnipeg for treatment.

"He's in a lot of pain and he had to be really quiet, because they said the organs need time to heal," said Starr.

RCMP believe the fight was between alleged gang members and another patron of the bar. At least three other people were injured in the melee.

Starr expects her son to be in hospital for the next seven to 10 days, and away from the marines for the next three months.

RCMP have charged a 26-year-old man from The Pas.

Anderson had returned home to visit friends and family. He was booked to speak at several area schools to thank the children for sending cards and letters of support during his tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, which he joined four years ago.

 

[Baloo]

My support goes out to him.

Though, I have to say, at first I suspected the worst, fearing this man had been attacked by anti-war bar patrons.

Either way, I hope he quickly recovers.

 

[Sergeant295]

Yeah I would have to agree the headline did suggest to me that this was the work of anti-war people.  Good thing it wasn't though, because something like that would only further harm Canada/American relations.  My thoughts are with this Marine though, lets home that he is okay.

 

[rcr]

The Pas never struck me as a place that really has much of an anti-war collective..  some people will pick fights with any sort of authority, out of jealousy, naivety or just plain hatred.  If they're in Winnipeg, they're definately out in the smaller towns.  This is sad to hear about, I hope he pulls through. 

 

[FastEddy]

The Pas never struck me as a place that really has much of an anti-war collective..   some people will pick fights with any sort of authority, out of jealousy, naivety or just plain hatred.   If they're in Winnipeg, they're definately out in the smaller towns.   This is sad to hear about, I hope he pulls through.  

I guess there are no words to describe the outrage and anger against the perpetrator(s) of this
senless and cowardly act.

With all this Marine has gone through, thank God he will survive this also.

With regard to the "Pas", what is it, what is the construction of the areas Communities.

It will be interesting to see how much of this the Media will follow up.

 

[Matt_Fisher]

Get well soon and Semper Fi Brother!

Anybody up for a road trip to The Pas?  :rage:

 

[Sergeant295]

A road trip sounds good to me brother.  :rage:

 

[RCA]

The Pas is your typical northern Manitoba community. I can (almost) safely say, the poor guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and absolutely nothing to do with being a Marine. The bars up there can be pretty rough. Anyone who knows The Pas can vouch for that.

 

[Crazy_Eyes]

I'd have to agree with that one, (not the knowing The Pas part) it doesn't seem like being a marine had anything to do with it. I wonder if the injuries were recieved when he was attacked from behind, or if they resulted from fighting the assailant. It just sounds like another bar fight to me, and one person happened to be involved was a marine. No disrespect is ment when I say that it's not that out of the ordinary, bar fights happen. I mean yes it's bad that he was injured, but the Marine part isn't really a factor in this. Again I have alot of respect for the USMC, but it was just the wrong place and the wrong time.

 

[PPCLI MCpl]

I had the misfortune of visiting the Pas last year for the funeral of a member of my battalion.  After the ceremonies, several of us went to a local bar.  We were told in no uncertain terms that whites were not welcome.  After a couple of broken beer bottles, we popped smoke and headed back to the hotel.  After it was over, a couple of the native members of my company told me "Don't worry, it's just the Pas."

 

[ghazise]

I grew up north of the Pas, never had any problems there, but I know it is not a great place either to be either. 
I wish him a speedy recovery. 

Semper Fi

 

[1feral1]

Pretty sad chain of events, and I wish this bloke a speedy recovery, and a safe trip back to his Unit. It goes to show ya, that no matter where you are, violence and mob mentality can happen anywhere including the smaller more isolated Canadian communities too.

Lets hope the grub who used the machete is punnished accordingly in the piss weak legal system (not justice system) that Canada and most other western nations ( including Australia)  have degressed to.

Regards,

Wes

 

[pbi]

I agree on the assessments re The Pas: it's "that sort of place" as unfortunately are too many Northern Manitoba communities. Fighting strangers is probably a welcome break from knifing each other and stealing their neighbours' skidoos. But, as he was apparently from around there, this probably wasn't news to him.
Hope he recovers.

Cheers.

 

[FastEddy]

I agree on the assessments re The Pas: it's "that sort of place" as unfortunately are too many Northern Manitoba communities. Fighting strangers is probably a welcome break from knifing each other and stealing their neighbours' skidoos. But, as he was apparently from around there, this probably wasn't news to him.
Hope he recovers.

Cheers.

Ahhh! PBI, you do have one of the most smoothest ways of putting a point across and still being on the money.

Regards.

 

[mover1]

The incident doesn't surprise me, seeing on the locale and the local demographics.

 

[Uberman]

I had a buddy from The Pas back when I was in. From what I remember him saying about the place, it was definately not anti war peeps but probably anti outsider etc. Undoubtedly smothered in ignorance and Lucky beer.

 

[FSTO]

I had a buddy from The Pas back when I was in. From what I remember him saying about the place, it was definately not anti war peeps but probably anti outsider etc. Undoubtedly smothered in ignorance and Lucky beer.

No such thing as Lucky in Manitoba. More like Labatt's Lite.
Anyway the Pas is in North Central Manitoba and very close to the Saskatchewan border. It is located on the northern fringe of agriculture (cattle ranching with Barley and Oats as the main cereal crops). Mining and forestry makes up the rest of the economic producers in the area. There is a mix of native and non-native in the town - there is a reserve on one side of the river and the townsite on the other. Inter-racial problems were highlighted by the murder of Betty Osborne by some of the local young men around 1975. One man was convicted of the murder 15 years later eventhough it was fairly well known in the area who did it.
As for the unfortunate beating of the marine. It can be summed up as wrong place wrong time.

 

[ghazise]

To paraphrase the RCMP report:
Members of the Indian Posse were outside the bar to entice patrons into fighting at bar closing.  The fight carried on to alley where more gang members were waiting, a total of four bar patrons were stabbed. 

 

[someguyincanada]

I grew up in The Pas, was the bar The Wescanna (sp) it wouldnt surprise me....

 

[pbi]

The papers here in Winnipeg are featuring this incident tonight: the Marine Cpl is being held up as an example of good qualities, and his mother is widely quoted condemning the attackers as "cowards" etc. I get the feeling that Manitobans (especially 'Peggers) feel a bit embarassed that a Marine described as a "hero of Iraq" got stabbed by some scum bag Posse types. This isn't Toronto or Vancouver: here there is a fairly strong pro-military and pro-US sentiment (except for the poor old beef ranchers, of course...)

Cheers.