We’ve got to Forgive and Forget

Heroes Remember

We’ve got to Forgive and Forget

Transcript

Why should we go and fight over there? It wasn’t our territory. Of course, maybe if we hadn’t have went there, maybe the Germans would have taken over. May have been under the German flag instead of the Canadian flag. It’s another way to look at it. The Canadian Government isn’t acting up to what they should be doing for us. They should see that Japan give us what we deserved for our slavery and the way I look at it, we’ve got to forgive and forget. But, here a couple of years ago I went to Chandler, at what they call the shopping centre. They had some cars in there. This guy come and he says, “Mr. Hunt, nice car for you here.” I says, “Where’s that?” Look, he says, “Nice car for you.” I says, “Yeah, you give me that car as a present, I’d tell you to keep it,” He says, “What?” I says, “Sure, I’d tell you to keep it.” He says, “Why? That’s a nice car.” I says, “You go and pass four years in prison by the Japanese and get beat up and tortured like we did - you tell them to ‘stick that car in your rear end.’” He says, “Oh, I see your point of view.”

Description

Mr. Hunt reflects on Canada’s decision to man Hong Kong, it’s failure to adequately compensate those Veterans, and his continuing censure of Japan.

Arnold Joseph Hunt

Arnold Joseph Hunt was born in 1910 in the village of Pabos on the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec. He was the eldest son in a family of 16. His father was a river guide, and as a boy Mr. Hunt would carry provisions upriver to the fishing camp for his father. He also worked cutting pulp and cooking in a lumber camp, earning 50 cents a day. Mr. Hunt enlisted with a French regiment, but transferred to the Royal Rifles, one of three brothers to do so. He describes his captivity and in particular the severe beatings he endured, as well as other brutality that he witnessed. He also describes a desperate effort to save a friend. Mr. Hunt questions both the Hong Kong deployment and Canada’s commitment to its Hong Kong Veterans.

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