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Rarely is a soldier renowned as a scientist, or a scientist renowned as a
soldier. My fame is derived from both of these pursuits, and my greatest impact
comes my bringing science to the military, and the military to science.
In World War I, gunners believed that it was impossible to locate the placements of
the enemy's heavy artillery. I applied the most up-to-date scientific methods to
the art of artillery warfare (often at the risk of my own life) and in doing so
helped alter the delicate balance of power in the frontline trenches of Europe.
The need to accurately pinpoint artillery targets, both stationary and moving,
led to my invention of the cathode ray direction finder which was the
forerunner of RADAR. I sold the rights to that invention to the Government of
Canada for only $1.
In addition to bringing science to the military, I brought military science
to the people of Canada. In my many posts with the Canadian government,
including that of President of the National Research Council, I worked to insure
that the military effort would support, and not disrupt, the peacetime
activities of Canada. Research should always have primary economic applications
in peace, even if it also has uses in war. By diligently applying this principle
I helped lay the foundation for Canadian civil aviation, employing and training
thousands of unemployed men during the depression. I was also instrumental in
opening up the north through the development of new aerial mapping techniques
and a northern communications network
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