Berthiaume, Joseph André Horace Jean

Date of birth:: November 27th, 1915 (St-Hyacinthe/Quebec, Canada)
Date of death:: January 26th, 2003 (St-Hyacinthe/Quebec, Canada)
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Berthiaume studied arts and chemistry before joining the 84th Régiment de St-Hyacinthe in 1936. He rose from private to lieutenant and served in WWII as a staff officer, contributing to operations in England and France. After the war, he held key administrative and training roles, notably helping establish the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean.

In the 1950s, Berthiaume commanded Canadian troops in Germany as part of NATO and later led the 1st Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment. In 1960, he joined the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) as chief of staff, earning the Order of the British Empire for his diplomatic and organizational skill—the first Canadian officer to receive that honor since WWII.

Promoted to colonel, he later commanded the Quebec Western District and the Farnham Army Cadet Camp. After retiring from the military in 1969, Berthiaume worked in industry and remained active in veterans' organizations, education, and community service.

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Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE, Military Division)

Rank:: Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit:: ONUC, United Nations (UN)
Awarded on:: June 29th, 1962

For his impressive organizational skills, initiative, linguistic ability, unmatched negotiating skills and his bravery during the ONUC mission in Congo.