HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-05-06, Page 12Page 10- Goderich Signal- lar. WediasdaY, May 6, 2009
Scott reaches 100th veteran interview
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Inside the home of Lt. Col. W.
N. Anderson KStJ, CD, a video
camera sits aimed at a chair in the
corner. A single condenser mic
rests a few feet above, just out of
shot.
The Goderich resident and
Second World War veteran is the
100th interviewee in Kirk Scott's
quest to document the stories of
Canada's veterans.
Scott began the project in April
of 2005, and on this day, he's
reached a milestone.
His own father was in the Roy-
al Canadian Navy, and Scott said
while he started too late to capture
his story on tape, veterans across
the area have similar stories to be
told.
'Timing, he said, is of utmost
importance as the aging .vets are
growing fewer in numbers every
year.
"I thought, someone should be
saving these memories," he said.
"I wish I could have started 10
years ago"
Scott's project is being done
in cooperation with the Bruce
County Museum, and enjoys the
support of the Bruce -Grey Le-
gion as well as the municipality
of Kincardine.
There are two common themes
throughout most of his inter-
views.
"MacArthur said, `no one
hates war more than a soldier,"'
he quipped. "That comes through
more and more."
Secondly, he said as bad as the
Photo by Gerard Creces
Documentarian Kirk Scott interviews Goderich's Bill Anderson about his wartime experience.
This is Scott's 100th veteran interview - a milestone that has taken four years to reach.
conditions may have been, there
is a fondness in the vets' histories
for the camaraderie developed
over their years of fighting in Eu-
rope and beyond.
The stigma that vets don't want
to talk about the war may just be
that, Scott said.
"When families say, 'Oh he
never talks about the war,"' he
exlained. "Often it's because no
one ever asked"
"That's a good point," agreed
Anderson, who is not shy about
sharing his story for the camera.
Anderson's full tale will be told
when the reporters are gone and
it's just he and Scott. However, it
doesn't stop pre -interview inter-
viewing from taking place.
Anderson said he considers
himself a `newborn veteran', be-
cause it wasn't until the year of
the veteran that it really resonated
for him what it meant to serve.
With that came the realization
that what it meant to him was dif-
ferent than other vets.
Perception of the war, he said,
depended on where you served
and what your occupation was.
Anderson said each service-
man's perception of the war is dif-
ferent, and the way someone on
the front lines interprets it could
be quite different from someone
miles away.
Being imbedded in a ground
combat situation, he said, is no
more heroic than shipping sup-
plies across the Atlantic or flying
a bomber. All contribute to the
same end, and no one operation
could exist without the other.
However, he said some veter-
ans look at their experiences in
very different ways. This, he said,
was evident even during the war,
where his fellow soldiers would
often talk about what to tell their
families.
"What are you going to say
when your children ask, how
was the war daddy?" Anderson
mused. "Just tell them what they
told us... shut . up and polished
your medals."
Though Anderson marked the
100th interview for Scott, it is far
from the last.
"I'll keep going until they're
all gone or I am," he said.
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