Lest we forget, even after their service: A lost generation of vets
Evan Solomon interviews Cpl. Georges Villeneuve, who says he’s struggled with mental illness and believes ex-soldiers’ pain goes underreported and under-supported
Evan Solomon speaks with a Canadian veteran of several conflicts at the Remembrance Day ceremony in downtown Ottawa November 11, 2015. Photo / video by Blair Gable for Macleans Magazine
Share
There is no more poignant place to be than at the National War Memorial on Nov. 11. Alongside so many regular Canadians and dignitaries, it is the gathering of the veterans that is most moving. From so many generations and so many missions and conflicts, these men and women walk proudly, each carrying a tradition and a story.
Cpl. Georges Villeneuve is one of them. He served for 22 years, beginning in the Royal 22nd Regiment. From Bosnia to the Gulf War to the Golan, Cpl. Villeneuve represented Canada in peacekeeping and in combat missions. Often, those were the very same thing. Like so many veterans, Cpl. Villenueve suffers from PTSD and openly talks about attempting suicide. He believes his generation of veterans are the forgotten ones, whose stories and whose post-service pain has gone underreported and under-supported. Today, he tells his story to Maclean’s.