Filmmaker in ‘race against the clock’ to document veterans’ stories

Lived experience from six veterans across Windsor-Essex will live on forever as part of a filmmaker’s efforts to preserve the history.

Over the weekend, Toronto-based history enthusiast Zach Dunn interviewed a handful of local veterans for his Global Veteran Stories series.

CTV News tagged along for Dunn’s interview with Gerard “Gerry” Becigneul, a Korean War Veteran, who was born in Sandwich, now a part of Windsor, and lives in Leamington.

Becigneul, soon to be 94, recalled the journey that took him from a small Ontario town to the front lines of a war on the other side of the world.

“Somebody said, ‘Oh, you’re a veteran. You’re a hero.’ I said, no, no, no, no. I am not a hero, I’m a survivor,” Becigneul said.

“I said there’s 516 Canadians that are the heroes; they’re still over in Korea.”

Stories like Becigneul’s, featuring moments of joy, heartache, and pride, are what Dunn seeks to capture as he travels Canada and the U.S. interviewing veterans.

Since 2021, Dunn has documented the experiences of more than 140 veterans, with many available online for the public to watch.

“I think the one thing that always sticks out for me is how young these veterans were,” Dunn said, reflecting on his previous interviews.

“I’m going to be 27 in October, and all these veterans who joined, you know, that joined at 15, 16 that lied about their age to join at 18.”

In what began as an effort to learn about his own grandfather’s service, Dunn now believes he has the platform to ensure the stories of many veterans won’t be forgotten.

Working with some schools in the Toronto-area, Dunn noted they’re able to teach about history in a way a textbook cannot.

“So I want to give kids that opportunity to listen to their stories in the classrooms, you know, on video. I think technology is a great tool for that,” he noted.

Over time, word about Dunn’s videos has spread, leading to more families looking to share their stories.

“Just how unique these stories are, and a lot of them are still untold. You know, all the veterans, most of them I met this weekend, have never been interviewed,” he said.

While his first trip to Winsor-Essex featured six interviews, Dunn said other veterans have already begun reaching out to speak during his next visit.

Despite the growing list, the filmmaker recognizes his time to hear and share the stories is limited.

“it’s a race against the clock for me just to save as many stories as I can,” Dunn said.