The veterans in these photographs are no more or less deserving than any other, they are simply the ones I had had a privilege to interview.

This is the first photo in a series of about six or seven.

All of the veterans approached for this project, started the conversation in almost identical fashion. Retired Captain Alexander Penman was no exception. “Oh, I’ll do it, but there are really guys who have seen a lot more action than me.” Mr. Penman served as a member of the Royal Canadian Army in England, Holland and Germany. Upon returning to Canada, he worked with the Unemployment Office and its various incarnations. Today, he maintains his close connections to Saint John area veterans. He is the secretary of the Royal United Services Institute of New Brunswick, which brings together members of all the branches of the Royal Canadian Forces. He is also the founding member of Saint John’s well known Barbershop Choir, which he helped establish 37 years ago. “Oh I still sing,” he says with a grin. “I get a bit shaky by the end of the line, but I hang on.” He also occasionally enjoys a glass of good red wine with his veteran friends at the Officers’ Mess at the Armoury.