CANADA, Robert Gaylon, was born in Miston, TN 57 years ago. He was third in a family of seven childern born to Ralph and Lois Canada. His family were share-croppers working for a small part of the profits on a farm. The house Bob was born in had a dirt floor and couldn't be warmed in the winter. When the cold wind blew you could feel it coming through the walls. The dog's water would freeze solid in the bowl on the floor inside the house.
His parents grew tired of not having things for the children or themselves. When Bob was ten years of age they moved to St. Louis, Missouri to find a better way of providing for the family of seven. This was not a good thing for Bob, as he really loved the country and wildlife.
Bob didn't fit in, in the city. He found out early how cruel the other kids could be. He was always overweight and the other children let him know about it everyday. Bob wasn't a fast runner, he couldn't jump as high, climb as well as the others because he was overweight. This really hurt Bob and so he withdrew from others only having a few friends he could talk to.
Bob was educated in the public schools, though for the most part self-taught, Bob dropped out of school in the 7th grade. When he became 17 he talked his parents into signing the papers so he could join the National Guard. Bob was in the service for about a year when he married his first wife, Pat Matthews on October 8, 1961. They had one child, a daughter, Mary Ruth. The marriage started to fall apart shortly after the baby was born. Pat wanted Bob to leave the service and work with her brother. The Military was the only thing that accepted Bob the way he was, and he was not going to quit. A few months later they were divorced.
Bob took this very hard. He decided he wanted to enlist in the U S Army and do some traveling and see the world, which he did at the age of 19 years. He thought it would lessen the agony of the divorce.
In 1962 while on a weekend leave from the Army Bob left in his father's car, had a few beers and headed down the freeway with the old car, it didn't have power steering and was hard to steer. Bob lost control of the car at 65 mph, tore down 152' of guardrail and broke his left leg, right arm, collar bone, three ribs and fractured his back.
While Bob was in the hospital he was handcuffed to the bed and a guard was posted outside the door. After a few days his mother was able to convince them he was in no condition to overpower the guard and leave. Bob paid dearly for his mistake he was busted back to pvt E1, which is the lowest rank in the Army. He was fined and had to pay for the guardrail he destroyed.
Bob did not give up because he knew the Army was the place for him, as life outside the Military was not organized enough for him. Bob stayed the course and moved up to achieve the rank of 1st Sgt. Bob was a big man, 200 lbs and over 6' tall; he was no longer overweight and had a heart as big as Texas.
In 1964 Bob was sent to Viet Nam to fight in the war. He volunteered to go again a few years later. I asked him why would you volunteer and put your life on the line for another country especially after you had already gone once. He explained to me that a lot of innocent people died there needlessly and because he was a Medic he could help to at least comfort them. He had an enormous compassion for others.
At some point the Army decided that they needed soldiers with no less than a high school education, Bob was informed of this fact so being a good soldier Bob went back to school and earned his GED. He was always trying to please the Army. I don't think he even thought about how this GED would help him in the future.
Bob was stationed in Germany in 1965 where he met his second wife, Olga Suratny. They were married May 8, 1965. They had one son, Robin Joseph while in Germany. When Bob returned to the United States he and Olga had another son, Ralph George while he was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Bob and Olga moved to Long Beach, Ca and lived there several years. Bob and Olga were divorced after 14 years of marriage. Bob then married Michiko (Michi) Oyama March 14, 1981 they had one son, Mako Timothy.
Bob had a hard time when many procedures changed in the Army. He tried hard to change, but just couldn't adjust to the new Army life. Another generation had come along with different ideas tailored for them. Bob said, it's now, time to retire and he did just that.
Bob expressed many times to me how he loved his family and how well his children were doing in school. He wanted what every parent wants for their children to have a better life than they did. He tried hard to give them a lot better start than he had as a child.
Bob worked at the Long Beach Naval Hospital for eight years as a nursing assistant until the facility closed. He then worked at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center as a records analyst.
Bob was of Indian Descent and wanted very much to be in touch with his heritage. He worked hard at getting a Pow-Wow started in Hawaiian Gardens and was very successful in doing so. There have been many Pow-Wows in the city and more to come and in addition he helped to promote a Casino there that employees many people from the area.
He was elected to the Hawaiian Gardens City Council in 1992 and was appointed Mayor two times first in 1993 and again in 95, proving himself a capable and efficient public officer. Bob put himself body and soul into this job, which he came to love. He did many great things for this city. Bob was a clear-headed man, who did the right thing at the right time almost intuitively. I am very proud and honored to have been able to call Bob my brother.
Prepared by; James CanadaWritten by; Maudie Fae Gaugh (Aunt Sue), Lisa Parker, Jerry Canada, Wanda Canada, and James Canada
