- John de Chastelain
Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix = Gerneral
name = John de Chastelain
honorific-suffix = OC CH CMM CD
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office = Chairman of theIndependent International Commission on Decommissioning (inNorthern Ireland )
term_start = 1997
term_end = 2006
predecessor =
successor =
order2 =
ambassador_from2 = Canadian
country2 = the United States
term_start2 = 1993
term_end2 = 1994
predecessor2 =Derek Burney
successor2 =Raymond Chrétien
monarch2 = Elizabeth II
order3 =
office3 = Chief of the Defence Staff
term_start3 = 1994
term_end3 = 1995
predecessor3 =John Rogers Anderson
successor3 =Jean Boyle
term_start4 = 1989
term_end4 = 1993
predecessor4 =Paul David Manson
successor4 =John Rogers Anderson
birth_date = July 30, 1937
birth_place =Bucharest ,Romania
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nationality =Canadian
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spouse = MaryAnn ("née" Laverty)
partner =
relations =Alfred Gardyne de Chastelain , fatherMarion Elizabeth (Walsh) de Chastelain , mother
children =
residence =
alma_mater =Royal Military College of Canada
occupation = Genreral, Diplomat
profession = Soldier
net worth =
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religion =Presbyterian
website =
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allegiance =Canada
branch =
serviceyears = 1960-1995
rank = General
unit =Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry ,The Calgary Highlanders
commands = 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group,CFB Montreal , Chief of the Defense Staff
battles =
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military_data5 =Alfred John Gardyne Drummond de Chastelain OC CH CMM CD (born
July 30 ,1937 ) is a retired Canadian soldier and diplomat. He was appointed head of theIndependent International Commission on Decommissioning , which is responsible for ensuring the decommissioning of arms by paramilitary groups inNorthern Ireland .De Chastelain was born a British subject in 1937 in
Bucharest ,Romania . His parents areAlfred Gardyne de Chastelain , a Scottish oil engineer then working in Bucharest for British Petroleum, and Marion Elizabeth de Chastelain, an American author. He emigrated to Canada in 1955 and was naturalized in 1962.De Chastelain was educated at
Fettes College inEdinburgh and at theRoyal Military College of Canada (# 4860), graduating in 1960 with aBachelor of Arts degree in history and a commission inPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). He started his military career, however, in the reserves as a private in theRegimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders . Serving on regimental duty in Canada,Germany , andCyprus , de Chastelain attended theBritish Army staff college inCamberley in 1966 and was commanding officer of the Second Battalion PPCLI from 1970 to 1972.As a colonel, he commanded the
Canadian Forces Base atMontreal for a two-year period ending with the1976 Summer Olympics in that city. He was also Deputy Chief of Staff of the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP ) and Commander of the Canadian contingent there. As a brigadier-general, he was successively Commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada, Commander of the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group inLahr , Germany, and Director General Land Doctrine and Operations at National Defence Headquarters inOttawa .As a major-general, he was Deputy Commander of the Canadian Land Force (then called Force Mobile Command) and Commander of the Mobile Command Division. As a lieutenant-general, he was Assistant Deputy Minister for Personnel, and then Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff. In 1989, he was promoted to the rank of general and appointed Chief of the Defence Staff. In 1993, he transferred to the Reserves and was appointed Canada's Ambassador to the United States. In 1994, he was recalled to Regular Force duty and re-appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, from which post he retired in December 1995. This was a somewhat controversial appointment given he was well past the mandatory retirement age of 55 then in place for members of the Canadian Forces. DND was able to get him around this age limit by placing him in the
Cadet Instructor Cadre , where the retirement age is 65Fact|date=April 2008.Since November 1995, de Chastelain has been involved in the
Northern Ireland peace process and since 1997 he has been Chairman of theIndependent International Commission on Decommissioning . He has made an impact on the way that Britain has viewed the IRA since the decommissioning has began. As part of theGood Friday Agreement an independent neutral adjudicator was selected to look over the disarmament of Republican and Loyalist paramilitary weapons in Northern Ireland, however only theProvisional IRA has taken part in weapons decommissioning as of 2006.John de Chastelain is married, and he and his wife MaryAnn (née Laverty) have two children and five grandchildren.
Honours
In 1985, de Chastelain was appointed Commander of the Order of Military Merit and in 1991, Commander of the Order of St John; in 1993, he received the
Commendation Medal of Merit and Honour ofGreece , and was appointed Officer of theOrder of Canada ; in 1995, he was appointed Commander of theLegion of Merit (U.S.A.), and in 1999, he was made aCompanion of Honour .He has an honorary
Doctor of Military Science degree from theRoyal Military College of Canada , an honoraryDoctor of Laws (Conflict Resolution ) degree fromRoyal Roads University inBritish Columbia , an honoraryDoctor of Education degree fromNipissing University , an honoraryDoctor of Laws degree fromCarleton University and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree fromQueen's University, Kingston . He is also an Honorary Fellow ofLady Margaret Hall , Oxford. The General John de Chastelain was a recipient of the Vimy Award, which recognizes a Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of our nation and the preservation of our democratic values. [ [http://www.rmcclub.ca/everitaswp/?p=1430#more-1430 e-Veritas » Blog Archive » Misc ] ]Trivia
* On
30 June 1990 , General de Chastelain paraded with the Regimental Pipes and Drums of theCalgary Highlanders , as a piper, during the Presentation of Queen's Colour ceremony atMcMahon Stadium .References
Books
*4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
*H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC - A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
*H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876-1918. Volume II: 1919-1984. RMC.Kingston, Ontario . The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984External links
* [http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=3135 Order of Canada Citation]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,2763,1578667,00.html IRA arms decommissioned]
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