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Jake M. Unrau served in a number of different places. He began in a forestry camp in Ontario and moved from there to a dairy farm in Manitoba.

 

“When the war started to wind down in 1944-45 and there was a chance to change working places, I started to work at Universal Machine Shop on Mary's Road, in St. Vital, Manitoba. While employed there, I learned some new trades: welding and foundry work involving molding patterns in the sand, which I enjoyed. My employer bought scrap aluminum from dealers in the city. Most of the scrap consisted of condemned airplane motors that had to be broken into smaller pieces so we could get them into a crucible pot, which was heated by a coke coal forced air burner until the aluminum became liquid. Then the molten metal was poured into these sand molds, which yielded the desired product. We made aluminum used-oil reclaimers [and] installed [them] on tractors, trucks and cars. We also made aluminum parts for cast iron Booker Stove Space Heaters used in homes and ships. I enjoyed making useful things out of discarded wartime airplane motors."

 

Like all other COs, Jake gave money to the Red Cross.

 

“From spring 1943 to fall 1945, I paid money to the Canadian Red Cross, which functioned to save lives, also during the time of the war. My donations consisted of a regular pay cheque deduction contribution of $15 per month for about 16 months, and the rest of the time it was from $3 to $7 a month. These were not easy times in my life but very worthwhile. I am thankful to God and to our Canadian government that allowed me to live according to my conscience as an objector to direct combat.” [ASP, 198-199]

 

A Rosenort, Manitoba, store flooded in 1950.

 

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