Sarnia, Ontario, CanadaGiving veterans their due; Filmmaker interviews local residents
When Cappetto put them to Point Edward resident Earl McKay, the D-Day veteran was quick to reply.
DAN McCAFFERY
Local News - Friday, January 12, 2007 Updated @ 4:32:12 PM
An award-winning American filmmaker says Canadian veterans haven't received enough credit for their contributions to freedom.
And Larry Cappetto plans to do something about that with the help of a handful of old soldiers from Sarnia-Lambton.
Cappetto, who has already made four documentaries about American troops, was in Sarnia Thursday to talk with local residents who took part in some of history's bloodiest battles.
"One million Canadians fought in World War Two," he said during a break between interviews with local veterans. "I want to thank them for what they did. Canadians fought right through the war, alongside Americans. Have they been given fair tribute? Have they been overshadowed in the fanfare?"
The questions strike a cord with Canadian vets.
"I always felt Canadians got the dirty end of the stick," he said. "They don't get the credit they should have."
Cappetto, whose trip to Sarnia was sponsored by McKenzie and Blundy Funeral Home, plans to conduct interviews in Simcoe, Saskatchewan and Alberta before returning to Sarnia to talk to more veterans. He hopes to have his film, 'Lest They Be Forgotten Canada' ready for release on Remembrance Day.
The Colorado-based filmmaker said he's in a race against time. "We're losing 1,500 veterans of World World Two every day in the U.S.," he said. "When they die, their stories go with them."
He said many veterans only start speaking freely about their combat experiences late in life. In fact, many of the 300 old soldiers he's talked to in recent years told him things they had not shared with their own families, he said.
"They trust me," he said. "I create a non-threatening atmosphere. They're moved that someone is taking the time to care."
Perhaps they also sense that "I'm honoured to talk to them."
Watching him in action, you quickly realize why Cappetto is so successful in drawing the veterans out. He starts off by asking his subjects why they enlisted, what boot camp was like and other harmless questions that tend to relax them. Before long, they're telling him what it was like to be an 18-year-old landing on a beach under heavy enemy fire.
As a boy, Cappetto enjoyed watching war movies and playing with toy soldiers. His father and uncle were both veterans but he never got the chance to interview them about their experiences. His dad died when he was only 10 and his uncle didn't talk much about his experiences before his death.
Cappetto, 49, said it's ironic that he never served in the military himself.
His service, he says, is to make films about veterans. "Imagine if we had a documentary series about World War One, and how valuable that would be today."
It's important for today's generation to realize that "freedom isn't free," he said. "We need to acknowledge the sacrifices that the veterans have made."
Anyone wishing to contact Cappetto can do so at larry@veteranshistory.org
