Our Stories....   Lt. Col. (Ret.) R.P.L. de Gobeo: Base Commander at Rivers (1969 -71) Base Commander DeGobeo and Brandon's Mayor Magnacca Lt. Col. (Ret.) R.P.L. de Gobeo with member of the Rivers Train Station Restoration Committee. The Rivers AirBase flag is in the background. Lt. Col. (Ret.) R.P.L. de Gobeo,qas born in Birmingham England. Roger was attending Monmouth College, an extension of Oxford University when England went to war. He joined the British army and was commissioned as an officer in the Worcester Regiment - from there he joined the parachute regiment and became a glider pilot and saw action in Europe during WWII. In 1952 he moved the family to Canada, joined the 2nd Battalion "Royal Canadian Regiment". In 1954 Roger was stationed in Germany until 1955 when he was sent to Shilo and was officer in charge of the parachute jump towers in Rivers. Roger was ordered to Korea where the conflict was just wrapping up. Roger then returned to Canada where he remained until he was sent to Vietnam in 1958 to aid the international commission for supervision and control of Vietnam. He spent time in both Hanoi and Saigon respectively. In 1960 when he returned to Canada and was stationed in Halifax. Then from 1961 - 1963 Roger was stationed in London, Ontario. Roger was again returned to Germany in 1964  and returned to Ottawa in 1966. In 1968 Roger was sent to Cyprus where he was a peacekeeper with the United Nations. In 1969 Roger was sent to be Base Commander at Rivers where he presided over the closing of the Base in 1971.