Yesterday WWII veteran Earl Stiles couriered a piece of shrapnel, about half the size of the palm of my hand - this particular piece of shrapnel is a fragment from an 88 millimetre anti-aircraft and anti-tank shell shot from a German 88 which landed only a few feet from Mr. Stiles in 1944.

Before I joined the Memory Project in early September 2009, I was uncertain about how open WWII veterans would be to discussing their war-time memories; after all, these events occurred over 60 years ago and often involve extremely challenging conditions and experiences. Since working here, however, I have been impressed at the overall openness and willingness of our veterans to share such often difficult memories. Not only do they share their memories, but they entrust their priceless artefacts with us as we digitize and archive them.

Earlier today another veteran, who had served in Burma, mentioned how difficult it was for him to discuss certain events. Yet, in talking about his grief about Burma’s current political state, he expressed his hope that in sharing his stories through our project, he will help future generations know about war and the importance of avoiding it. His dedication to helping society, in addition to his service in World War Two, demonstrates that he, like all of our Memory Project volunteers, is a true Canadian hero.