Veterans memories sought for preservation

It used to be that the deaths of 300 to 400 veterans would be reported every three months in Legion Magazine, said Burnaby's George McLean.

"Now it's 3,000 to 4,0000 per quarter."

With most Second World War  veterans now in their 80s and 90s, it's more crucial than ever to create a record of their wartime experiences, said McLean, 87.

"Once a veteran goes, his story goes."

McLean is one of numerous Canadian veterans who have participated in the Memory Project, which records oral histories.

A recent visit by project staff to George Derby Centre in Burnaby yielded the memories of about 20 veterans for the initiative, funded by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage , which is currently seeking participants from both the Second World War and the Korean War .

"We're doing this for posterity and for future generations of Canadians to understand what these men and women went through," said Alex Herd , project manager for the Memory Project archives.

While many are often reluctant to talk about that period in their lives, they usually open up when the purpose of the project is explained to them.

"It may be that no one has, in some of their cases, asked to talk about just that time of their life."

It's sometimes made easier by the fact Memory Project staff who conduct the interviews are military historians often the age of the veterans' grandchildren.

"Often a veteran has been very reluctant to tell their kids about this story," Herd said.

"I think that bit of a distance in generation and our knowledge makes them more comfortable in talking with us."

The average age of Second World War veterans is 85 and for Korean War vets, it's 78. "Their numbers are dwindling on a daily basis. If we want to hear those personal stories and get a personal human side to the conflict then we have to interview them now before they've passed away."

The biggest challenge of understanding history is to see it from another person's eyes, someone that saw it unfold firsthand, and the audio recordings created from the interviews do just that, Herd said.

He noted that the project is seeking veterans who live in Canada, regardless of what country they served with, and not just those who served for Canada or the Allies.

The audio recordings and transcripts are eventually posted online at www.thememoryproject.com. Any veterans interested in participating can call 1-866-701-1867 to make arrangements.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader