During the summer of 1976 we all went to CFB Borden for BOTC.  Since my family was living in Toronto, Claus Gorgichuk was one of a group of us who every weekend would hop the bus in Barrie to head down to my parents’ house in Toronto. My father would take the family car down to the Islington subway station to pick us up on Friday night. It was always amusing to my Dad that during that short 10 minute drive to my parents’ house he could look in the rear-view mirror into the back seat and find everyone passed out asleep. I am sure we all remember those days where we would fall asleep anywhere.

This ability to sleep anywhere backfired on us when we tried to play a prank on Claus. Walt Natynczyk reminded me of this event involving Claus that I had almost forgotten. We were on the subway on a Friday night heading to the station where my father would pick us up. Claus had fallen asleep and someone (Barry Klein), I can’t remember exactly who (Barry Klein) decided a great prank would be for all of us to get off the train at the next stop and run to the next car. We could then all sit there looking through the window from the next car and see Claus’ reaction when he woke up and we weren’t in immediate view.  

It was a great idea in theory but of course not so good in execution. We managed to get organized to grab our stuff and get off the train, but in a manner befitting the Keystone Kops, we didn’t quite make it into the next car before the doors closed. So there was Claus, in a strange city, asleep on a subway car, not knowing where he was or where he was going, abandoned by his buds, who were still standing on the platform watching the train disappear into the distance. And of course we were all waiting for the next train in a state of panic wondering how we would find him again and pointing fingers at who had the bright idea in the first place. (Barry Klein)

Claus had enough presence of mind, or memory, to remember the station where he needed to get off the train.  And he was there on the platform waiting for us when the rest of us pulled in. His usual good nature wasn’t completely evident at the time, but he did enjoy a good laugh at it later (once his blood pressure got back to normal). I think I learned a bunch of new German curse words. Of course none of us did get to see the look on his face when he woke up alone in the subway car.