Captain Bernard (Pat) Clermont joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1947 before moving to pilot training in 1951. Pat’s career was spent in Air Transport Command where he flew many different types of aircraft. Throughout his career he was involved in the Korean airlift, mapping of the Arctic and numerous search and rescue operations. In 1970 he flew dangerous missions into the Andes to provide evacuation, rescue and provisions to Peruvians caught in the Great Peruvian Earthquake. For this bravery, he was awarded Peru’s highest military aviation award, the Orden al Mérito Aeronáutico.
Pat retired from the RCAF in 1971, but worked in civil aviation for the Canadian Government until his retirement in 1990. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 94.