From death row to advocacy, veteran turned tragedy around

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This article was published 15/06/2012 (4875 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For several months in 1968, Canadian Armed Forces Cpl. Joe Haywood didn’t know whether or not he would be executed for gunning down a defenceless man and woman in a St. Boniface house.

Haywood wasn’t. He was removed from death row after being convicted by a 12-man jury of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison for slaying the couple during a time when a psychiatrist testified Haywood’s mind was “impaired in some way and that he possibly confused the couple for his wife and the man she was associated with.”

It was only when the 18-year military veteran was in prison that he was first diagnosed with the impairment that caused him to kill the two people — post-traumatic stress disorder.

It was a diagnosis that sparked his life’s work, a campaign that culminated with PTSD being officially recognized by the Canadian government and military, and Canadian veterans getting the benefits and help they need.

Haywood died on June 8. He was 78.

Lt.-Col. Alexandra Heber, a Canadian Forces psychiatrist and clinical leader of mental health services at the Canadian Forces Health Services Centre, said in an interview from Ottawa that, while she didn’t know Haywood, what he did was amazing.

“To turn something so tragic and turn it around and become an advocate, he must have been quite an amazing man.”

Heber said PTSD, which is characterized as an anxiety disorder, affects about eight per cent of military personnel who are deployed into conflict.

Heber said because people know about PTSD, more military personnel come in earlier to be treated, in most cases successfully.

Haywood was convicted in May 1968 of slaying Angela Barker, 22, and Lawrence Wasylenko, 27, on Dec. 13, 1967.

Haywood suffered from PTSD after seeing action as a United Nations peacekeeper in the Belgian Congo in 1963. His condition worsened after he returned to Winnipeg and began abusing alcohol.

A psychiatrist later diagnosed Haywood with PTSD and, after he was paroled in 1972, he went on to run the Health Sciences Centre’s chemical-withdrawal unit for seven years.

During Haywood’s funeral, attended by more than 200 people on Thursday at the Norwood Legion, he was celebrated for his contributions to veterans and for his work helping people with alcohol and drug dependencies.

Haywood spoke at military bases across North America about PTSD and wrote Mr. God I am Sorry with former CJOB broadcaster Peter Warren.

Haywood was given a commendation by then veterans affairs minister Rey Pagtakhan in 2003.

He was a co-founder of Winnipeg’s Addictions Recovery Inc., as well as two halfway houses for alcohol and drug addictions.

David Munro, a director of the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association, first met Haywood in 1953.

“He was a soldier’s soldier,” Munro said. “He contributed to the benefits of many veterans — we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Munro said even though Haywood is dead, he is vowing to continue pushing for him to be honoured with a Queen’s Jubilee medal this year.

World chuckwagon champion Kelly Sutherland said Haywood also was a rodeo judge who won several rodeo titles.

Sutherland said Haywood had great affinity for people fighting addictions.

“He always felt they should have a second chance, much like he did. He had a second chance and he spent most of his life trying to right the things he did wrong.”

Aaron Kim Johnston, producer of Russell Crowe’s first movie, For The Moment, and the movie The Last Winter, said Haywood helped train the horses used in both and became friends with Crowe.

“He was always on me about making his story, not for his sake, but for others’ sake.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca