European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine sold Len of 3rd Fin Princess Patricia s Canadian Light inf during an exercise in Nicosia Cpl. Barrel Paris top photo of new Glasgow Nova Scot a is among Canadian reservists. Sgt. Roy Buchanan above. Works it observation Post Perron. It s scary when you think there might be a war1 editor s Folk staff writer Joseph Owen spent eight Din id Cyprus lost month getting t firsthand loot at the people the Poer and the politics tint far the last lifters litre split my Farmer British Colony Titto turkish sad Greet zones of occupation. The United nations has the Jab of patrolling the line of separation keeping t peace that at times seems a tenuous As the country s future. This is the third and Mai port of Owens report on the situation Story and photos by Joseph Owen staff writer s Cpl. Tim Mcmillan patrolled an Oval path around the Sun baked soccer Field in Nicosia. Cyprus the children scampering across in seemed oblivious to him and to armed soldiers nearby who could t Cross the earns few without risking a shooting incident. The yield is in the United nations Buffer zone a slender Easl West strip of land that snakes across Cyprus separating greek and turkish cypriot forces. In the Countryside the zone is so wide that opposing soldiers can barely see each other. But in Nicosia the capital in is a narrow festering wound slashed across the City. The soldiers in some neighbourhoods could almost reach out from behind heir sandbagged fortifications and strangle each other. Mcmillan 21, a Canadian reservist irom Vancouver British Columbia is there to Stop that rom happening. It s scary when you think thai there might be a War but i feel More like a police officer than anything  when i see the greeks sitting there and the turks sitting there i wonder if we pulled Oul of Here whal would happen questioned another reservist Cpl. Scott a. Mctavish 21. Of Surrey British Columbia. The two soldiers uniforms Bear a Smail Canadian Flag on the left shoulder and a round Blue and while United nations Patch on the right shoulder. A Light Blue United nations baseball style Cap Shields their eyes irom the Sun. While on patrol. They carry ammunition and unloaded guns intended Only for self defense. In an emergency they would have to Duck into an Alley to Load up. In the meantime common sense and United nations prestige keep them alive. The United nations asked Canada and other countries for temporary help in keeping ethnic turkish and greek communities in Cyprus from fighting each other in 1964, i Roe years before Mcmillan was born. Some 30.000 Canadian Soldier policemen have taken turns since itch. Watching warning and waiting. A few canadians caught in the Cross fire of turkish invasion that partitioned Cyprus in 1974, never made in Homo several nations have participated in the United nations Force in Cyprus or unf1cyp. Over the years but Canada May have ils ked More than any of hem. It has supplied Mote uni cup peacekeeping troops than any other country bul the Unildo kingdom which ruled Cyprus Tor 82 years and Slit has it own interests to protect inc Udog iwo military bases on the Island s South coast. And Canadian troops Pard the Buffer zone s Roost dangerous sector a 30-mile strip Hal includes the decaying no Man s land of inner Nicosia. Canada rotates its front line troops every sin months some soldiers in the current group including Mcmillan Are reservists called up to replace the swedish contingent that withdrew permanently in Lale 1987. The rest Are assigned to 3rd in. Princess Patricia s Canadian Light infantry. Normally stationed on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It. Col. Anthony w. Anderson. The battalion commander said his soldiers have performed honorable since arriving in Cyprus in Masse in Lale february they re Well respected by the Crooks and the turks and by the United nations h s quite a rallying. Really he said. The comment says Little about the pressures and morale problems that most soldiers must overcome to justify that respect however. Separation from Home is Ono example. Wail arrives sporadically and is nol always Welcome Mcmillan said he knows eight of nine soldiers who have received dear John Fellers rom wives of girlfriends since february. Newspapers and magazines arrive once a week usually outdated and in the wrong language because Iho previous contingent which Sot up the subscriptions was from French speaking Quebec. There s also a Toca language Barrier which the soldiers combat by applying their own nicknames Tovery Lomg a Nicosia Street with a Tongue cramping greek name for example becomes coca cola Road because of the soft drink warehouse to caled there the language Gap is Moro crucial on the cease lire lines. The United nations encourages troops to solve problems at the lowest possible level so canadians often must Deal with soldiers who speak Only greek or turkish. You just have to to  Mctavish said adding that sign language often works. Line soldiers work three Days on a 12 hour shift Lako a Day off. Work three 12-hour Days on the Olio Side of tha clock then gel iwo Days off. Once a month they get a 48 hour pass to leave Nicosia. Another problem is the wild dogs that roam the Island in packs Oflyn attacking sold Iris. United nations troops Hunt them Down and shoot them irom trucks and helicopters pick handles or Puppy  Are Standard equipment in most Canadian patrol vehicles. And then there s the heat. Of airy Peak temper lures already were climbing beyond 90 degrees fahrenheit by Early May and the vegetation was wilting irom Green to duly Gray. By july rain wih be a Distant memory and drowsy soldiers on guard at each observation Post will 1eel like patients in hell s wailing room. Tie main Challenge however is forcing the greek and turkish sides to Honor the cease lire rules and bound Rius established in August 1974. The Las known shool my incident in the butter zone occurred in 1983. But each Side chisels Al the rules in Little ways every Day. Sometimes the turkish cypriot add sandbags to their barricades violating a Rule that allows each Side to repair Ortilio cations but nol strengthen them. Or soldiers on the greek Side approach their checkpoints disguised in civilian clothes also forbidden. Still despite the Touchy and tedious aspects of their jobs Many Canadian soldiers manage to find their Cyprus posting rewarding. Sgt Roy Buchanan 38, of the 3