Author talks about “Breaking the Silence”

Ted Barris is author of “Breaking the Silence”. The 2009 publication talks about veterans’ experiences during war. (Contributed Image).

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

A Canadian military author will be speaking on his experiences with getting veterans to speak of their combat experiences – a topic the majority don’t ever discuss.

Ted Barris will be speaking at a dinner/presentation at the Royal Canadian Legion on Friday, Oct. 17. Cost of the event, including a roast beef meal, will be $25.

“It’s a talk about my experience in talking to veterans about stuff they don’t like to talk about,” Barris said during a phone interview. “Once they understand how genuine I am, and prepared for their defensive mechanisms, I get through.”

The talk is based on his 2009 book “Breaking the Silence”. Barris began this journey more than 50 years ago, allowing him to talk to First World War veterans that were still alive at the time.

He said he is not belligerent when talking to veterans, but is understanding.

“I have a fair record for making veterans feel comfortable, and the stories eventually come out,” he said.

He will be sharing five or six of those stories during his talk.

“One of the guys I talk to, said every time he heard a bang, he hit the ground,” Barris said.

He interviewed a Korean War veteran who was unable to talk to his girlfriend after returning home because he was so traumatized.

Another story is about a veteran from the Women’s Canadian Naval Service who helped save a Zellers store during a riot in Halifax after VE Day celebrations in 1945.

“She was there and saved a Zellers store. In the middle of this insanity, she stepped up and prevented this place from being torched,” Barris said.

He will also talk about stories heard from Afghanistan veterans.

“The younger veterans are different than the old ones,” Barris said. “This is because they haven’t yet worked out a script in their heads on how to answer what happened.”

In particular, he will relate discussions he had with the friendly fire incident survivors in April 2002.

“I will talk about how they responded and how they got through the horror of it because four guys were killed in that attack,” he said.

While many military history authors focus on the technical aspects of war, Barris said he likes to see things from the human aspect. He has interviewed 6.000 veterans over the years.

“For me it’s about people. Too many military historians get caught up in counting rivets, they’re more interested in the machinery and technology. That’s fine but I’m more interested in people stories,” he said.

All the stories aren’t dark and horrifying, some have a humorous element.

“It’s sometimes the humour of these moments that get them through this.,” he said.