32. More Than Their Wars: Zach Dunn on Finding the Person Behind the Uniform

What does it mean to truly see someone — not just their role, their rank, or what they survived — but the full, living, breathing human being behind it all? In this episode, 26-year-old Zach Dunn, shares his mission to interview and capture the essence of the world's last surviving WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans while he still can.   

In This Episode:

• How Zach's mission began — and what first compelled a young man in his twenties to seek out the stories of those who lived through history's defining conflicts
• What it's actually like to sit across from a 100-year-old veteran and ask them to open up — the preparation, the nerves, and the unexpected moments of laughter and tears
• Why Zach believes these interviews are about so much more than war — and how veterans light up when asked about their families, hobbies, loves, and everyday lives
• The profound connection between veteran storytelling and person-centred care — and why knowing someone's full story changes the way we see and treat them
• Zach's process for earning trust quickly — how he creates a safe, warm space that allows veterans to share stories they may never have told anyone before
• The urgency behind this work: why time is running out, and what we all risk losing if these voices go uncaptured
• How Zach's project grew from a Canadian mission into a global effort spanning 16 countries — and what that reveals about the universality of human experience
• The emotional impact of this work on Zach himself — what it's taught him about life, sacrifice, gratitude, and the responsibility of being a keeper of stories
• Practical insights for family members, healthcare workers, and storytellers who want to start capturing the stories of the elders in their own lives
• Why engaging with life stories isn't just about preservation — it's about honouring the whole person, right now, while we still can

Zach Dunn is the 26-year-old Toronto-based founder of Global Veteran Stories, a documentary and oral history project that has captured over 165 veteran interviews across 16 countries. Each interview is edited into a full-length documentary gifted directly to the veteran and their family — along with a personalized birthday video every year.

Connect with Zach: 

www.rememberingcanadasveterans.com 

youtube.com/@GlobalVeteranStories 

TikTok: @ww2veteraninterviews 

Facebook: Global Veteran Stories 

Thank you for listening!

Do you have a question or a topic related to "capturing essence for care" that you would like discussed on the podcast?  

Email:  awestruckaspirations@gmail.com

Or use the "Send us Fan Mail" link at the top of the Episode Description to text the show!

Interested in learning more?  

• Check out my Etsy Shop
• Visit my YouTube channel or website

Intro and outro music with thanks:  Upbeat and Sweet No Strings by Musictown 

Lisa brings over 25 years of experience working in healthcare settings with older adults. The perspectives shared on this podcast are her own and do not represent the views of any past or current employer. Patient/resident stories are shared only with explicit permission or as anonymized composites for educational purposes.

Transcript

Welcome, Purpose, And Zach’s Mission

Lisa 0:04

Welcome to Capturing Essence for Care, where we discuss the importance of incorporating personal life stories into healthcare and share ideas to help you on your journey. I'm your host, Lisa Jaworski. Welcome to Capturing Essence for Care, everyone. This is a podcast about the stories, creativity, and connections that make us who we are and the difference they make when it matters most. And today I have Zach done with Global Veteran Stories with me. I learned about Zach's work, I don't know, I think it was only maybe a month or two ago, Zach, where I learned through, I think it was on CBC. They were talking about your work here in London, Ontario, about interviewing veterans. And I was just so inspired, of course, hearing that you were interviewing and doing video and had all of these interviews lined up that I had to reach out. So thank you for making the time to spend with me and the listeners to share more about where you came from, how this is how this is all going, and what's inspired you to do this work. I just think it's worth passing it on to you to share a little bit more. So thanks for joining. And I want to just hear where you want to start.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Yeah, thank you so much, Lisa, for you know, again, having me on the show and for reaching out. I think uh it was kind of by coincidence that our you know paths kind of cross. So yeah, happy that that CBC interview came across your way and uh yeah, excited to chat with you uh about what I've been doing for our veterans and you know, preserving their stories, preserving their memories, and most importantly their names, you know, for the next generation. It's uh a pure passion project for me.

Lisa 1:49

That's awesome. I'm so excited about this. So you know, because we've talked before briefly about how I think video is so important and that it captures so much about the person, so their story, but also the nonverbals. And I think in your case, you are taking the time to go out, meet with individuals in person, sit and listen to them one-to-one. And it just blows my mind how you've I think from what I understand, you keep it very simple. You use your phone, I think, for recording. So that's the magical phone, showing a smartphone. So yeah, it it doesn't have to be hard, and I think that's part of the essence of this conversation is breaking it down so that people don't feel intimidated or like it's too hard to do. Because I think if we take a step back, we're able to think about it on like just interviewing our family members and our grandparents. So maybe on that note, I know that you have a personal story on how you started these um interviews and why what inspired you to do that in the first place. So I wonder if you could share a little bit more about that.

A Granddad’s Hidden War Story

SPEAKER_02 3:03

Yeah, absolutely. It um, you know, all started a little over five years ago. So in early 2021, um, I was cleaning out my parents' basement, came across some old photos of my granddad, my mother's uh father, and they're all in black and white. He was in a military uniform, and and uh I knew he was, you know, obviously quite older, but I asked my mom, I said, was he a veteran? He said, Yeah, he was a World War II veteran. So I had no idea. Um, I knew he was born in 1921, so he would have been a hundred years old that year. Um, he passed away when I was about three and a half, but I basically asked my mom, I said, you know, what do you know about his story? Well, he said he was a paratrooper, but he never talked about it. You know, he was born and raised in London, England, you know, had eight kids, immigrated to Canada, and put the war behind him and put it aside. Um, but I was fascinated. So I asked, you know, uh my aunts and uncles just questions. Tell me about granddad. Again, found out he was a paratrooper. You know, he served all six years of World War II. He was in Northern Africa, he was in France and Germany, he jumped on D-Day, and he had this incredible story that you know was never shared. So I kind of thought to myself, I said, wow, that's you know, a pretty incredible career. You know, he joined up at 18. There must be another veteran around his age, maybe in my community. I lived in Port Perry at that time, and just kind of thought to myself, let's meet a veteran and let's ask him a couple questions. Uh, ended up meeting and interviewing World War II veteran by the name of Arnold Graham. Uh I was born uh in December of 1925 in Lakefield, Ontario. And he was a mid-upper gunner on a Lancaster bomber plane and sat with him for 45 minutes, and that day kind of changed my life. I said, This is history that is still living. You know, he was again 95. He was a youngster at the time compared to the age of the veterans now, but kind of kick-started this project. And again, for the last five years, I've been traveling across Canada, across the US, and interviewing veterans, filming their stories, posting them on social media, and as well as donating them to different schools and museums. And to date, I've interviewed over 165 uh World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and Gulf War veterans, um, not only from Canada and the US, but 18 allied countries. So it's uh truly a global project for sure.

Lisa 5:36

That's amazing. Okay, I have so many questions, and you shared a lot of information. I think it's amazing and yeah, I I can't think of the right words to say how inspired I am and like awestruck. I guess it's awestruck because that's really what my YouTube channel is called, too. Yeah, but but the fact that okay, so Arnold Graham was your first interview, and you said you were pretty much struck then. You just had to continue. What was it about that interview

Arnold Graham And The Moment It Clicked

Lisa 6:09

that made you want to continue?

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Yeah, it's a great question. I think the selflessness of you know of Arnold, like he had he was the youngest. So picture this, he was the youngest of 12 children, you know, growing up on a on a farm in southeastern Ontario. And he at the time, when he joined the service at 17, he already had six brothers. So all of his brothers, he had you know, six brothers and five sisters, and he was the youngest. So all six of his brothers were already in the service by the time he joined, when he was, you know, he asked his mother's consent to join the the Royal Canadian Air Force. And his mom said, No, no, please, I don't want another son in the war. But she, but he said he's a you know, mother, if I join, I might get them home sooner. And I just I tried to hold back tears. Like the, you know, the guy, this kid's only 17, he hasn't even graduated high school yet. But again, the selflessness of that statement alone, I said, wow, there's gotta be again, there's gotta be another veteran out there. Yeah, but you know, Arnold has a special place in my heart. Um, you know, his story I'll forever share, and he was the reason why, and as long as my granddad that I've been able to save and travel and share as many stories as I can. Uh, and he recently just passed away last year at uh the age of 99. So he was within his hundredth year, but uh yeah, he was 99 and did over 20 missions over Germany as a again, a mid-up or gunner. Um, very difficult conditions, but that's you know what kind of kickstarted this project. Like, you know, I need to go, I need to join, I need to do my part and you know, help get my brothers home sooner. Wow. It was pretty incredible.

Lisa 7:55

Yeah. So you said he was the first one, and you've done a hot over 165 now?

SPEAKER_02 8:01

I think so. Yeah, I was just in Barrie uh in Aurelia only a couple days ago, just this past weekend, and I did five interviews, and uh then I did one over Zoom with a World War II veteran in in Edmonton. Um, and he just he's turning 104 in a couple weeks or a couple months rather, and uh never been interviewed before. You know, he's born in 1922, never shared his story. There's no articles written about him. You know, you won't find anything online.

Lisa 8:32

How often is that the case that when you're when you get to meet somebody and hear their stories, how often is it that they've never shared their story before?

SPEAKER_02 8:41

Probably, you know, 60 to 70 percent of the time.

Lisa 8:45

Really?

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Absolutely, yeah.

Lisa 8:47

More common than not that they haven't shared.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Yeah. And especially on video, you know, there's some times where you know a veteran's been interviewed by a local newspaper or they had a you know a special birthday, which is incredible. Um, but a lot of the times they've never been interviewed over, you know, on video before, like physically having their stories recorded. And I think that's so important. Um, again, I donate, you know, the the the footage to schools and museums, but you know, having it on social media, having it for free for people to access, you know, is uh is a powerful tool. And uh love technology for that. You know, it's not perfect, but I think it's a very useful tool uh for educational purposes and and again for sharing these memes and stories.

Lisa 9:29

Yes, I think it's a wonderful idea and so smart to share these stories with schools and museums. Like, what's the feedback been? Well, first of all, I guess I'm curious to know like, how did you get schools to be interested? I'm sure there, I'm sure there's some obstacles on the way on you know what they're gonna be open to and how you make that collaboration.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Yeah, I've been very lucky. I actually had a a good friend of mine who's a history teacher in Toronto named Scott Masters, uh at Crestwood Oral, uh, I think Crestwood Oral Health History Project, they call it. Uh, but again, it's a preparatory high school in Toronto. Uh, but he actually reached out to me by seeing one of my YouTube videos and said, Hey, you know, I interview veterans

Going Global With Veteran Interviews

SPEAKER_02 10:12

with my students. And I said, maybe we can help each other out. Let's, you know, share your videos in my classrooms and you know, let's work together. Uh, and again, we've been friends ever since. It's been almost three years now. Um, there's a couple other uh museums and schools that I work with, but he was the first, you know. I'm very thankful to you know have Scott, you know, kind of reach out. And we've interviewed probably about 50 veterans together.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Really?

SPEAKER_02 10:35

Yeah, we've traveled across Ontario together and uh you know done a lot of interviews together as well over Zoom. So he's been a good friend. So, and again, he comes from the same thing. His father or his grandfather was in World War I.

Lisa 10:48

Oh my.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

Um, and he lived to about 105, he was telling me. So that's how he started. So again, the reception's been incredible. I think the younger generation now, like I'm gonna be 27 in October. So I think people like kids five, 10, you know, whatever 15 years younger than me are more receptive or more open to learning about this history than maybe, you know, people 10, 15, 20 years older me. I'm not sure what it is. I think it's the you know, the change that I've kind of seen. And, you know, they understand that this history is slowly leaving and we need to be able to capture it. So it's been a great journey and the reception's been incredible from the schools and museums. They're delighted to have this history uh at their at their front door.

Lisa 11:34

I love that this is like a legacy. And I looked at your website and I'll share it on the in the show description as well. But you have all of the videos and a little write-up on each individual, like each veteran. And then you I think you click and you see their video, but it has a picture of them there as well, if I recall. Yep. You've you've done so much work that's so detailed. And I'm pretty sure you told me before that there's no charge other than people donating. And so I have a few questions. Like, first of all, how like I want to know more about how you're making that possible because they do cost money, right? Like the first, I know that there's mileage, which I think is what the donations are for, but like the videography and the time that you put into it and any uh platforms that you might be storing, YouTube's free for the most part. But um, like how how are you making that work and when are you fitting that in? Because is this your day job? Like, can you share a little bit more about how you're doing all of this?

SPEAKER_02 12:39

Yeah, I think uh the easiest answer is uh yeah, it's all self-funded. Um, you know, there's odd times that I do get a donation from a family or from a you know a company or whatever it is, but um yeah, about 95 to 98 percent of my trips are all self-funded. I mentioned that I was in Barrie, um, I was in London uh in February. That's where you saw the CBC interview. I was in Windsor in January, then obviously around Toronto. I was in Kingston, Belleville, North Bay. Um and it's been it's been a great journey. And I was able to travel to Calgary and Inabiton. My my actual job, I work in sales, so I do get to travel a little bit um for my job. So sometimes I'm going to see customers. I do ask my boss, hey, there's a veteran 20 minutes away. You know, can I take a day and go go see him? So they've been, it's been, you know, kind of lucky there. But yeah, I've been um basically self-funded from the start. And you know, again, I don't have a very expensive setup by any means.

Lisa 13:43

So just your phone, just an iPhone.

SPEAKER_02 13:45

Uh, I have a $20 Amazon lav mic and then maybe a $30 or $40 tripod, and then a $10 light that I got from Amazon as well, that actually my wife got me for my birthday.

Lisa 13:58

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

So I try to keep things really simple for a couple different reasons. You know, obviously it's more cost effective doing it that way, but I find that, you know, I did have a really nice camera, but I found that the veterans sometimes get a little bit intimidated when there's like a big production.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

You know, my interviews are so personal. The types of questions I ask, you know, it's really more of an open conversation. And I found that having less equipment, less setup, less prep makes the interviews go a lot smoother. And you get more of those natural um kind of conversations that that kind of come about. And um, you kind of talk about the time. So this is definitely not my full-time job. This is something I do on my weekends, any off time that I have. Yeah, I do

Schools, Museums, And Self-Funding The Work

SPEAKER_02 14:45

have a you know a sales job, nine to five, Monday to Friday. And finding the time is, you know, scheduling things out ahead of time, a lot of early mornings, a lot of late nights, editing, filming, and just putting everything together. So it's uh it's a pure passion project and something I wouldn't give up for the world. So it's uh that's awesome. Yeah, labor of love for sure.

Lisa 15:06

When you talked about the interview process itself and how it can be intimidating, and we talked about video and how you know people are unsure of that when you start. How do you help someone feel comfortable? So partly you said that's why you have less devices and things around. Um, what else do you find helps somebody be more comfortable with you and for you to develop that rapport and trust when you first meet the individual?

SPEAKER_02 15:33

Yeah, I think just kind of explaining the project um very quickly. You know, um I say I'm a 26-year-old filmmaker, my granddad was in World War II. I'm interested to learn more about your story as well as you know what you did in the service, or whatever war or conflict they might have been in. Um, you'll get a copy of the interview so you can share with you and your family, as well as, you know, purely educational purposes. Like I'll share this with schools and museums. So usually that makes them feel a little bit more comfortable, but I always tell them that my interview style is very casual and it's just more of a conversation. You know, I'll have a camera, I'll have a microphone there, but it's just, you know, tell me about you know your childhood. These are the kind of type of questions I ask. You know, what's your first and last name, birthday, where you were born? Okay, you know, what it was like growing up at that time. Tell me, you know, what the food was like, what was your parents like? Did you have lots of siblings and so on? And you know, what was the training like when you first joined the service? How hard was it? Where did you travel? What was that experience like? It's more, you know, kind of these open-ended questions that get the best answers and the most real answers.

Lisa 16:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

It's yeah, it's uh yeah, that's kind of the style. Sometimes that opens up.

Lisa 16:47

I was gonna say, do you use like a notepad and like write notes as you go, or do you find like you just let it roll because it's on video anyway?

SPEAKER_02 16:55

Yeah, you know, it depends on the interview. I usually do have like a laptop in front of me where they say something, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna ask them about that later. So I write a little note for myself. But you know, I've had some interviews where yeah, I haven't even looked down or haven't even written anything down because they're so good at telling their story. And sometimes I don't even ask any questions. You know, there was one interview I did in Pennsylvania with um Wally. Uh he was uh Wally King, he's a P-47 Thunderbolt pilot and did over set, I think it was 70 missions, 70 combat missions over over Germany before he got shot down and spent the rest of the war basically running around Germany uh avoiding capture. Um, but yeah, he was born in Ohio, and I think I asked him about four questions, and he was just story after story after story after story, and he was pretty incredible. And I think he's turned 103 this October. So um that was yeah, one of my favorites from recent memory for sure. So yeah.

Lisa 17:59

It is you, I think you you said this to me. It's like you're racing against the clock, like the the the age of the individuals you you're mentioning are between 95 and 104, you know, like really it's true. Like you're it sounds like you're just trying as quick as you can to capture as many stories as possible to make sure that we preserve this for generations to come and so that we can honor them, the individuals who were there, while they're here and alive and able to share their stories, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:32

Yeah, absolutely. I think the oldest veteran that I ever interviewed was Burdette Sisler, and born in Ohio, but came to Canada at the age of three. So he's been here, you know, over 100 and whatever years. And he recently just passed away about a month ago, you know, only a couple weeks before his 111th birthday.

Lisa 18:54

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 18:55

So he was the oldest living man in Canada

Simple Smartphone Filmmaking And Rapport

SPEAKER_02 18:58

and the oldest known living World War II veteran in Canada as well. Just uh an amazing man, you know, had so many great life advice, and you know, he still had his humor. And yeah, he's from the Niagara area here in Ontario and pretty incredible, remarkable man. But it it's truly a race against the clock. Yeah, our World War II veterans are you know well into their hundreds or their late 90s, even the Korean War veterans are in their 90s now. Um, Vietnam 70s and 80s, and and you know, a lot of the other wars and conflicts, they're they're getting up there in age. We don't have a lot of time with these veterans left. It's so important to record and save their stories. You know, again, not only from the war, but just the life advice. You imagine someone that's lived on this earth for 70, 80, 90, 100 years, you know, what knowledge they've gathered over the last number of years. And I mentioned it before, but I got married two weeks ago.

Lisa 19:55

Yeah, congratulations.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Thank you. And I always ask, you know, what's your advice for a long marriage? Um, there was one, uh, actually a couple, Sheila and Bill Parfitt out of North Bay, Ontario. They were married for 78 years.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

78.

SPEAKER_02 20:14

So you imagine, you know, what a life advice they might have. Yeah. I think that's the longest. The World War II veteran in in Edmonton, uh, George William Detling, he was married to his wife for 76 or 77 years before she passed away in 2021. Um, they were married in 1946. So it was uh incredible journey for them. And that those are the life advice or again, the type of questions I ask. It's not just about combat and and you know, those type of questions. It's you're preserving who they are and you know what they learned, what they represented, and and again, who they are as a person throughout their life. It's not just uh yeah, not just about their time in the service.

Lisa 20:57

So, what life advice have you learned so far? Do you have some gems that you could share with us?

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Yeah, there's there's definitely a couple. I think, you know, in in terms of the marriage part, it's you know, never go to bed angry. Um, make sure you laugh every day. Because if you don't, it's a day wasted. I thought that was an interesting one. Um, I think you know, taking care of yourself is so critical, you know, eating healthy, exercising. Um, but they're on the contrary, there was uh a World War II veteran in North Carolina who I interviewed, uh Merle Jean Hughes. She was born in 1923 in in Minnesota. And I asked her, What is your life advice for living to 102? Or I think she was 103 at that time. She said, Zach, lots of chocolate, and I've never ate a vegetable in my entire life.

Lisa 21:52

So awesome.

SPEAKER_02 21:55

I think everyone has their different ways of going about it, but maybe it's good genes. But uh those are some of the the more funny and quirky stories I can remember.

Lisa 22:04

Some dark chocolate is good for us, but I am all for that, you know? I think everything, not in moderation, but I mean I think some things work for some people and other things work for other people. And I am I am against I shouldn't say that, but I'm going to. I am against there being like the one way for proper health, you know. Like I know we all know physical activity and meditation, all these things are good. But I don't think there's one way to start and one thing that you should do. I think we're all different, you know, and you take from all of those lessons learned that and and put them into your own life as they make sense. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

Yeah, there's bits and pieces that you should take, and uh yeah, that one really stuck with me. That's funny. That was pretty funny.

Lisa 22:48

I like that. I really love the fact that you even in our conversation just now, you remember, and I get why, because you've spent time with each of these individuals you're talking about, but you really remember and highlight all of their names, even sometimes their dates of birth, which is really incredible. What's in a name? Like what's important about that, and making sure that you highlight that.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

Yeah, I think it's their their legacy, you know. Well, I mean, what is our our name? It's a family name, but you make it your own, if that kind of makes sense. And it's something that again, people can remember you by. You know, you're gonna be associated by in your life, in my opinion, you're gonna be associated by what you do and the impact that you have on people.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

Um, and again, the impact that these veterans, you know, you kind of ask, how do you like how do you remember these names? How do you remember these birthdays? Yeah, how can I not? Uh, you know, these veterans have been uh an incredible impact on me. Um, you know, I I interview at least one or two veterans every week, uh, if not every single month. So, you know, every single one has their own unique story, their own special story. But yeah, how can I not remember them for what they've done and what they shared and the again, the intimate details of their life. It's uh something I'll never forget.

Lisa 24:18

Yeah, I really like that reframe. You're right. How could you not? I have a list. I like not everybody I work with, but I have a list every now and then I'll go through when I'm thinking of stories, working really, especially with people who living with dementia, but also you know, mental health in general.

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Right.

Lisa 24:37

And I'll it'll spark a certain memory if I'm thinking of something. And often somebody will go through my head, you know, and and put a smile on my face. Or and I guess I'm I'm all about everybody leaves some kind of an imprint on us in some way, you know, and I people don't realize it. Like you or or people walking down the street or holding the door, like we don't realize the impact we make on other people without even realizing the difference we can make in each other's lives. Anyway, I just thought I'd I'd mention that because I think the veterans that you work with, the people that I work with, they're never gonna know the impression that they've left, right? Like they're you we don't ever know the ripple effect that we have in other people's lives. But I love that you're highlighting their names and individuals that have shared their stories and they'll live on through your website, through your your videos. Uh, and I'm also curious if you've had feedback from them on if there's other ways that they've shared the video that you've done with them. Like, do they share it with their families or in other ways that you've heard of?

SPEAKER_02 25:47

Yeah, I think one of the more unique ones that came about, I think it was early last year, even the year before, there was a World War II veteran in Whitby, Ontario that I interviewed, Stephen Cosgrove. Uh he's from Liverpool, England, but joined with the Seaforth Highlanders uh at on his 18th birthday and went through Belgium and uh and and you know and Germany and the sorts and never been interviewed before. You know, um he was in Brooklyn at that time and again came to Canada, I think, at 20. Uh and he oh he used to he used to bug me because obviously he's a still uh strong British accent, but he said, I'm a Canadian, I've been here 82 years. But um, you know, it was it was funny because I again I posted this wonderful interview and uh how limited he limited he knew about technology, you know, kind of shocked me. Obviously, he's he's gonna be 100 years old, and I think his birthday is June 6th. Um, but I got a message from someone I went to high school with on Instagram. She said, Hey, I'm the physiotherapist of Stephen Cosgrove at you know his retirement home in Whitby. He didn't know that the video had you know so many views, or you know, he didn't really understand the concept of being it posted because when I googled his name, your video came up because we were talking and he said, Yeah, you know, you know, just natural things, how old are you? Whatever. And he's like, Oh, I'm a World War II fan. He's like, Yeah, I know this kid, you know, uh interviewed me. I think there might be something online. And she said, Oh, what's your name? Stephen Cosgrove, World War II veteran. And it came up and she showed, and he just broke out into tears.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 27:21

Yeah, and it was uh, you know, I was so happy to see that message and said, Hey, you know, Zach, you know, I, you know, again, the physiotherapist, this is that she was telling me all the story in this one message, and I was like, This

Racing The Clock With Life Advice

SPEAKER_02 27:32

is this is why I'm I'm doing it. Um, this is the main reason. It's you know, I remember showing him, we even took some pictures right after the interview, and I was showing him on my phone. I'm like, what do you think? Stephen, he's like, How does it how does that work? I'm like, oh, it's just like it's digital. And he's like, You don't have to get it developed. I was like, No, no, no. And this is the same thing for the video. And I was showing the video, he's like, That's so cool. So that's kind of the reactions that I've gotten from from veterans, but even the family members themselves interviewed a uh World War II veteran, uh Alex Graham in Brampton, Ontario. Um, saw a newspaper article that I was a part of and said, I want to share my story with you. His niece ended up sending up Dorothy. And, you know, we did the interview, and she gave me a call the other day, and she was like, you know, we were watching it back, and we all we all were crying because it was like this is this is saved forever now.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 28:23

Um again, he's gonna be 104 and I believe October uh as well. So again, this is you know, I'm very pleased to have the impact on that. Um, and it's yeah, it's always those little special moments that mean a lot.

Lisa 28:37

Wow. When you when you create the video and you're ready to give it to them, do you like what does that look like? Do you just go here's your video, or do you sit with them and watch through it with them to see their response? Do you I'm just curious about what that looks like.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

I used to do that a lot. Um, you know, sometimes, but now it's you it's just easier to kind of send it through an email. Uh, but at my first interview, Arnold Graham, you know, he when I sat and interviewed him on November 27th, 2021, he said, you know, my birthday's on December 12th. Will it be ready by then? I said, absolutely. And I was like, you know, he lived alone at the time, very, you know, technology illiterate, right? He's 95, uh, turning 96. And he said, Well, how can I see it? I'm like, why don't I just come back and I'll bring my laptop, plug it into your TV, and let's watch it together. So that's what I did. You know, I drove to his house, we watched it together, you know, the 22-minute video or whatever it was. And, you know, he was just so thankful. Um, again, been interviewed by a couple newspapers, but never on video. And uh, we had a great time, you know, watching it together. I remember giving him a DVD copy as well, so he can have yeah, a lot of the times it's it's sent digitally, but those few times where you can watch it in person or watch it kind of together, those are pretty special moments.

Lisa 29:58

Yes, absolutely. I think the sharing, after they give you the information, I don't think people realize, like no matter what age, what it's like to actually watch it back. I find that even actually with the podcast that I've mentioned, I've mentioned that in a previous episode where you and I in this moment, I'm really enjoying the conversation, but I also will have gaps later where like we talked about what did we talk about? You know, yeah, absolutely. So then, and then you edit, I edit it, and there I'm more in the analytical, okay, this doesn't sound right. But then later, like I'll listen to the podcast in in my car or on a walk and actually take in that conversation. So I think for you know, the veterans who are sharing their story, it's very different, even though it's in their own words, to hear it back on, yeah, I did do that. That is part of my life, right? That acknowledgement and yeah, feeling respected and honored through that interaction itself. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

You're you're almost re reliving it and re-experiencing it again, right?

Lisa 31:03

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

Yeah, I found that as well. Where even during my interviews, some of the veterans' stories you can tell are they are reliving it as they tell it to you and reliving it in all it's almost like a therapeutic session sometimes because the veterans after the interviews, they say, I've never been interviewed, never shared that story before. I relived it with you, telling it, and now it's like, wow, this is 70, 80 years ago. It's it's good to have that off my shoulders. Yes. I think that's uh powerful.

Lisa 31:35

Absolutely. It's like a release. Yeah. Do you ever have anybody who after they've shared with you says, I don't want this to be public, I don't want it posted anywhere?

SPEAKER_02 31:47

No, I don't think so. No, yeah, I think uh no. Wow. I think always uh, you know, sometimes they they kind of joke and they say, Well, you know, I've interviewed veterans who have a little bit of a lisp, sometimes they had a minor stroke or they, you know, fudged a couple words and they said, Are you gonna cut that out? So I said, I'll make you look good, don't worry. Um, but I think, you know, again, it always goes back to, you know, it's gonna go on social media, even if they don't really understand it too well. I said, you know, kids um and people who are looking up material in university or in in school will see it through the museum. Kind of approaching it that way, um, you know, always gets them really excited, like, oh, this is again, this is gonna be used for good. Um, and I think another thing, you know, my interviews aren't long. You know, I'm I'm not gonna be sitting with a hundred-year-old for two, three, four, five, six hours.

Lisa 32:40

Right.

SPEAKER_02 32:41

Um, you know, I really keep it 45 minutes, maybe an hour and a half, um, depending on how much they want to share and you know how comfortable they are, you know, energy-wise. You know, I've had veterans, you know, 45 minutes and they're I'm like, okay, that I think that's enough, you know, you're 104. I think that's good.

unknown 33:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

So, but no, I haven't, you know, and obviously knock on wood, but everyone, I think again, it maybe it's my approach and and how I'm

Legacy, Names, And The Power Of Playback

SPEAKER_02 33:08

doing it. Um, haven't had any uh any kind of kickbacks there, but those are the only kind of few tidbits where they're like, I messed up that word or I got that date wrong, or you're gonna fix that.

Lisa 33:19

Worried about what they're gonna look like or what, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Absolutely, yeah.

Lisa 33:23

That makes sense. So you I was thinking about a couple things as you were mentioning that. How do people get connected with you? So you have a huge following from what I understand on social media. Is it family who reaches out to you?

SPEAKER_02 33:37

Yeah, I've been very, very fortunate. I think probably maybe 30 to 40 percent of my interviews is directly from social media. Um, and some of my favorite interviews personally have come from direct contacts. You know, whether it's a niece like Dorothy and Alex uh Graham, or you know, it's uh a grandson, or sometimes it's a nurse at a retirement home or a special care worker that says, Hey, I work in this department, I have a veteran that I take care of. Do you want to meet and interview them? So, again, some of my favorite interviews have come out from that literally through TikTok. Message, they saw my video on TikTok, they messaged me. Was uh one of my favorite ones from I think this was July 2024 in Paris, Ontario, or Perth, Ontario, uh, was Mary Owens, uh female World War II veteran, lived in a retirement home at the time, and her caretaker messaged me on TikTok. You know, we ended up connecting over email and set up the interview and went uh and had an amazing afternoon in Perth, uh beautiful city there. So again, just seeing a video saying, wow, this is this is pretty incredible. Um, another couple of my favorite ones, uh, another female veteran, uh Augusta Bansbach, uh, was uh a World War II veteran who grew up in Czechoslovakia, uh in part of the Sudetenland that was taken over by the Germans. And her her daughter reached out to me. And she was 104 at that time, and I think she's gonna be 105 in October. But she said, you know, she went through this incredible experience. You know, she got kicked out of her house, she joined the Red Cross, she got transferred to various different, you know, prisoner of war camps, um, you know, for just living in that area. And again, I was able to interview her um in and just outside of Perth. Um, and again, they saw something online, I think it was through TikTok as well. They ended up commenting on the video. I replied back to them. Um again, another one, Jack C. Thomas. The full interview is on my YouTube channel. Uh, it's called Shot Down and Bailed Out at the Battle of Arnhem. Um, so again, Jax C. Thomas, never been interviewed before. Imagine he's you know, 101, born and raised in Belemme, Ontario, just outside of uh London, actually. And his grandson Brian, again, saw my video, messaged me on TikTok, and said, Hey, you know, my granddad, World War II veteran, tail gunner, 20 missions, prisoner of war for a year and a half. Do you want to interview him? And I said, Absolutely. Never been interviewed, never shared a story. There is nothing online, and I was just so fortunate to be able to write up his story, share it, and uh as well as give a copy to his family. It was it was an honor. Obviously, so there's a lot of non-for-profits, a lot of schools, a lot of museums, newspaper articles that I can kind of connect with. Um, but again, it's the power of social media, is how I really get contacted by a lot of uh a lot of these amazing individuals.

Lisa 36:44

That's incredible. And so that brought me to my other part that I was thinking about is I wonder how often people that you're interviewing think that their story is not worth telling. Like, I why would you want to hear from me? Or do you think is that accurate?

SPEAKER_02 37:01

Absolutely. That happens quite often. And I think it happens with you know, you think of a veteran, you think of a war veteran, you think of just front lines, army, but there's so many different aspects of a veteran, in my opinion. You know, there's you know, female and male veterans that served on the home front. They're a wireless technician, they were a mechanic, they worked in a mailroom, they delivered messages on a bike. You know, there's so many different aspects, and everyone that did their part are a veteran in my eyes. You know, you didn't have to go overseas and fight, you didn't have to have a high combat role, you know, to do your part and share your story. And those stories are so important. You know, on the contrary, there are veterans out there that, you know, had those combat roles, had those, you know, incredible stories that, again, like my granddad, came home, had kids, got a job, moved countries, moved cities, and just put the war behind them. One of my favorite ones to tell is George Ferguson, who lives in Aurelia now. Um, he's born in July of 1921 in uh Scotland, but came to Canada at the age of five, I think. Joined the Canadian Army at 17, went uh to Normandy just a few weeks after D-Day, uh, was injured during the Battle of Normandy. He's only about five foot seven, he was a short fellow, but um, you know, again, ended up getting blown up by a tiger tank and losing half his men. But he was at a ceremony for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and a little girl came up to him. This is what he was telling me when I interviewed him a couple years ago. He said, a little girl came up to him, she's like, you know, elementary school age, and asked him if he's a veteran and he if he ever has told a story before. And he said, No. And she said, Why not? She's like, Well, I don't think it matters. And she said, Well, if you don't tell your story, who will? Oh, and I and and he said that's and he's done probably now you know four or five interviews with different, you know, people like me and newspapers. And he said, you know, she was probably seven or eight, but she really got me to think, Wow, there's I'm

How To Find Stories And Start Your Own

SPEAKER_02 39:12

the only veteran at the ceremony, there's probably not even any left in this community or this area. And he said, I need to tell my story, it's it's important.

SPEAKER_01 39:20

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 39:20

Um, and again, this is a humble man who again got injured in the battle of Normandy, came home, got a place in Barrie in Toronto, and ended up working as a plumber for 65 years.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 39:31

Um, but again, this is the quiet generation, the humble generation, the greatest generation. They uh they don't think they're important, they don't think they're heroes, but they deserve all the credit.

Lisa 39:42

Yeah, absolutely. I completely agree. I think that's a perfect note from that girl. You know, like it we all have a story, and nobody else, not AI or anything else, will be able to share our stories to the depth that we have them and our own personal lived experience. And I yeah, I guess my my last note would be that I think helping people to realize how important, like that girl did for him, that your story does matter. Like I want to hear it, right? And having other people ask. And I think that's the that's the other part of the magic on like care teams or family members saying I want you to share this. And it knowing, like you going in and saying, So I'm here because schools and museums that people want to hear your story, all of a sudden it's like, oh well, okay. You know, it's not like, well, I don't really have anything to share. They know why it's important because people want to hear it and they know that.

SPEAKER_02 40:42

Absolutely. I'm incredibly grateful to you know, the family members, you know, staff. Um, and I read an article the other day that I think it was something between 65 to 70 percent of people in long-term care homes or veteran facilities or nursing homes never get any visitors within a 12-month span. And that just crushed me. Um, yeah, you know, there was a World War II veteran in Richmond Hill, Ontario, uh, Rex Arnett. You know, his wife passed away five years prior, and he had one son and no family. And he's, you know, kept himself busy, still played golf until he was 99, still drove until he was 100, but had to keep himself busy, and you know, because he didn't have a lot of visitors, until my coworker at my job said, I was just golfing with this man. He's 98, you know, uh, maybe you want to talk with him. I know you do things for veterans, and that's how I ended up meeting him. Um, again, a B-24 Liberator, uh wireless operator on a B-24 Liberator, you know, did 2020 missions. Again, never been interviewed before. You know, yeah, this pretty incredible story, born and raised in Toronto. Um, but again, you know, a lot of these times they don't think they matter, you know, when they get up there in age. And I think it's it's our job as you know, younger people, people that work in healthcare, people that work with them, to encourage them that no, their story matters, their their knowledge, their memories, you know, need to be saved.

Lisa 42:14

Yeah, yeah. Wow. Well, I so appreciate everything you've shared today. And I I do I think I have one more question for you if you're okay with it.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

Yeah, far away.

Lisa 42:26

Um how do we, in your opinion, and there there's no, I don't think you'll have a full answer to this, but how do you think we could inspire or encourage others to sit and listen to the older population's stories and to learn from them? Do you think there's any like, how do we do that? Because like you get it, I get it. How do we get more people like because what you're saying is there are so many people who have never been heard or never been given the opportunity to sit, veterans and not veterans, um, to sit and and just have their stories be heard, right? So, how how can we encourage other people to do this work?

SPEAKER_02 43:10

Yeah, I think it's you know, for me, it was my own project came out of my own curiosity. So I think for anyone listening out there, I think just be curious, you know, be a be a sponge. You're not gonna know everything, even when you know we eventually all go, hopefully at a long, uh, long life, you're not gonna know everything. Yeah, but try to, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 43:33

I like that.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

Yeah, but be be curious, be be thirsty for knowledge. And anyone older than you, anyone that has more experience than you, just sit and and listen. You know, being in sales, you know, there's a joke out there that salespeople are the worst listeners and the best talkers. So I try to just You proved them wrong, I feel like I try, but I truly try my best to just sit and listen and just you know. Ask a couple questions and just really take everything in. So I think just being curious, like again, that's how I started this project. You never know who you might be related to or where your family came from. I think that's really important too. You know, where your family came from, your family history, just learning about, you know, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, your parents. Um, you never know what you're gonna learn, and you never know what they've experienced and how that's gonna help you out. I think just be curious. I think that's the biggest takeaway.

Lisa 44:30

I love that. That's a great takeaway. And it circles back, in my opinion, back to the beginning on when you were looking and found, you know, the pictures and things in the basement

Where To Connect And Closing Thanks

Lisa 44:40

of your grandfather, and it kind of started there, right? Like using the things in your environment that kind of prompted you to ask more questions and dig a little deeper. So yeah. Thank you for sharing all of your stories and for mentioning so many wonderful names and people for us to look up and uh learn more about uh through all of your resources. Where could people find you and connect with you? I'm sure that people will want to reach out to find out if you could help them to interview someone they know who's a veteran.

SPEAKER_02 45:11

Yeah, I think the best way is uh, you know, through my website, global veteranstories.com. You know, go to the contacts section of the website, fill out a contact form, I'll get an email and would love to connect. And I'm basically on every single social media channel, either under Zach Dunn or Global Veterans Stories by Zach Dunn. So TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, uh, Instagram, and again, as well as my website. And again, I want people to be curious. And if they know a story or they know a veteran who either has been interviewed or hasn't been interviewed or doesn't want to share their story, try to try to convince them. I think it's so important to share their story before they're gone. Um, and before you know, we we don't have much time with them left. So I think it's again, for me, it's a race against the clock, and it's for people who are listening and who support my videos, it's the yeah, one of the reasons why I kind of do what I do. And thank you so much again, Lisa, for having me on the show. I think what you're doing is incredible. Giving people a platform to share their passions and um again, again, capturing what they what they are passionate about. So thank you again for reaching out um for your interest in my project and yeah, for giving me the the platform to continue to share it.

Lisa 46:25

Absolutely. Thank you for doing all the work you're doing. Thank you, Zach. I wish you all the best and please keep in touch.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

I appreciate it. Thanks again.

Lisa 46:35

Thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed this episode, take a minute to look at the show notes for resources and links, and be sure to leave me a rating and review. And also you can follow the show so that you get notified of when the next one comes out. And lastly, if you can think of somebody in your life who you think would enjoy this podcast, I hope you share it with them as well so that they can listen in on the conversations and ponder how to capture their own essence. Take care, and I look forward to the next time.