By Adriana Christianson

Video series honours Saskatchewan WWII Vets

Oct 28, 2014 | 4:39 PM

Chuck Steen was only 18 when he enlisted in the Air Force in 1943. For decades he hasn’t talked about his time there, until now.

At the age of 90 he is one of the people who participated in video interviews for a special series called ‘Stories of Courage: Saskatchewan Second World War Veterans Remember’ which premieres this week online and on City Saskatchewan’s educational television channel.

You can find them online at saskatchewan.ca/storiesofcourage

Steen says for a long time he didn’t want to share his story because he felt guilt for coming home when so many others lost their lives.

“People like me that came back, yes we felt a bit guilty but if it wasn’t for some of us coming back, you wouldn’t have known about what was going on,” he said.

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It was a request from his grandson that finally changed his mind. After talking to a school class he realized that he was left to tell the story of what it was really like. That’s why he agreed to be interviewed for the Saskatchewan Military Heritage oral history project.

“It was hard at first, even talking now it kind of gets a little emotional,” Steen admitted.

He flew with an air evacuation unit that transported wounded soldiers from the front lines back to England.

“There’s one little story I’ll always remember because we were looking after the wounded and we had quite a few that were up in Holland at this particular time,” he said. “This young fella came in and he was wounded so I kind of took him under my wing. I was only a kid myself. So I gave him his cigarettes, gave him his soup, stuff like that and when we were ready to come on the aircraft I said don’t worry God will take care of you, and he said I think my mom would do a better job. And that always stayed with me, mom will do a better job.”

Steen says these videos are important to help future generations of children understand what it was like to live through World War II. He says it’s not really about his own story it’s about giving a voice to those who didn’t come home.

“I just hope that they see these and remember the sacrifice that these young men and women gave up. They were not able to come back and have families of their own,” he said. “Be thankful for that, that you’re here and that you can enjoy these freedoms and get up every morning and do what you want to do.”

The videos featuring interviews with 17 Saskatchewan service men and women premiere this week online and on City Saskatchewan television.

The series of eight videos are part of an oral history project created by the Saskatchewan Military Heritage Committee through support from the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport. They are meant to preserve the memories of surviving veterans before they are lost in time.

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