Veterans share stories through video documentary series

GUELPH – “First hand accounts of veterans are invaluable,” said Zach Dunn. 

That’s why he’s made it his mission to give as many veterans as possible a platform to tell their stories. 

He has been travelling around Canada and the U.S. interviewing veterans for his video documentary series Global Veteran Stories. 

Dunn visited Guelph on Feb. 21 to interview Vietnam War veteran David Noonan, and back in 2023, he visited Rockwood to talk to the late Sytske Drijber. 

His goal is to share these stories with schools, museums and communities to “educate the next generation about the incredible sacrifices made during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War,” Dunn told the Advertiser. 

The project was inspired by Dunn’s grandfather, John Williams, a WWII paratrooper. Dunn was cleaning out his parents’ basement in 2021 when he found some old photos of Williams. It was the first time Dunn found out his late grandfather served in the war. 

“Mom said he never talked about it,” Dunn said. 

He called his aunt, who had Williams’ service medals, and when Dunn went to check them out he learned Williams served in Africa, Germany and France. 

Though it was too late to ask his grandfather, who died in 2003, about his time in the military, learning of his service ignited Dunn’s desire to collect as many veterans’ stories as he could. 

The amateur documentarian conducted his first veteran interview in November 2021, and said the project “kind of catapulted” from there. 

Now, he’s interviewed over 150 veterans and donates the footage to museums, schools and not-for-profits, as well as sharing them on his website and on social media.  

Dunn is also compiling the stories together in a book, “to ensure these voices are never forgotten,” he said. 

He encourages others to take on the mission too. He doesn’t have any special training or equipment, he’s just a young man with an interest in film and a passion for preserving veteran’s stories.  

“My set-up is nothing fancy – a couple iPhones, a $10 tripod, a $15 mic,” he said.

Dunn, who has a full-time job and is not earning an income from the documentary series, said, “I don’t have all the time in the world to speak with these veterans, so I hope that people in their communities all over the world talk to these veterans and share their stories ... and let’s learn from them.”  

He said a veteran recently told him the Global Veteran Stories project is important  because, “‘War is awful – war is the stupidest thing man has ever created – but we have to  learn from our mistakes, learn from our history, or else it’s soon to repeat itself.’

“These are such wise men and women, not only about what they did in the service, but their life stories. They went through incredible things.”

Asked about common threads between the veterans’ stories, Dunn said “how young these veterans were but how willing they were to serve their countries,” many of them lying about their age to serve in WWII at 15, 16 and 17 years old. 

“They’re always so humble, too,” Dunn said. “A lot of veterans don’t want glory ... don’t want the credit or attention, even though they really deserve the world, in my opinion.” 

He said veterans are sometimes hesitant to share war stories with family and friends, “but I guess it takes some kid from Toronto to be able to open them up.” 

He said about 20 of the veterans he’s interviewed are women, and he’s very interested in interviewing more, as “a lot of female veterans don’t get the credit they deserve.

“Whether on the home front, or oversees as a mechanist or typist, these jobs are behind the scenes – they do so much incredible work,” he said. 

“That’s what I’m trying to do – seek out these untold stories.” 

Dunn interviewed Drijber in her Rockwood home the day before her 103rd birthday.

Drijber shared stories of her time serving in Java, Indonesia, where she met her future husband, Oscar.

Dunn asked if she had a message to pass on to young people of today, and Drijber urged people to be grateful to live in a free country and stressed the importance of understanding political parties, voting in elections and paying attention to the news.

“It’s important to know what’s happening in our country,” Drijber said. 

“Each individual is really important, I think people don’t realize that – the power of one.”   

Watch Dunn’s interview with Drijber on Youtube here.

Near Remembrance Day, The link to the video is displayed on the Legion’s banner in Rockwood with Drijber’s name and photograph. 

For more veterans stories, to make a donation to the project, or to connect Dunn with a veteran, visit his website.