Message to Youth

Heroes Remember

Message to Youth

Transcript

Interviewer: Mr. St. Denis, it's so important for the youth today to understand what you soldiers went through. We hear it and you saw it. If there's an opportunity to speak to the youth of today, what would you say to them? I would say, I do a lecture here in at the museum of regiment for Rwanda, for actually, for grade 10 and 11 students, and one of the things that I say I said, in 1945, the world said we will, we will not forget when, when they talk about the Jews and, and, and, and what has happened to them during that period of time, and I say to them this is the same thing that happened in Africa, so, do not forget this. Remember this for the rest of your life because you don't want it to make it happen and, you know, the world said we will not let it happen again and in 2000 and, sorry, in 1994, and in 1992, and in peace in other peacekeeping places that Canada went, they let it happen again, and that cannot happen, that cannot take place in the future. So, that's why it's important to the youth, to have them face those images, face those ideas, so that when they're, they're become leaders themselves, and/or and join military or politicians or business people, they, they can apply that and make sure that their, their political leaders respect this kind of, of, of saying and remember what Canadians have suffered in going overseas and during the wars and during the peacekeeping missions.

Description

Mr. St. Denis passes on a message to youth about learning from the mistakes of the past.

Jean Yves St. Denis

Mr. Jean Yves St. Denis grew up in Rodden, Quebec. He decided university wasn't for him, so he enlisted with the Canadian Army after graduating from high school in 1986. Mr. St. Denis had a very diverse 21 year career with the Canadian military, serving in Calgary, Germany, Ottawa, Rwanda, and Valcartier. While in Rwanda, Mr. St. Denis worked closely with General Dallaire, and witnessed many atrocities which affected him deeply for a long time after his return to Canada. With three overseas peacekeeping missions to his credit, Mr. St. Denis retired from the military in 2004, at which time he began working for Shell Canada.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 1:55
Person Interviewed:: Jean Yves St. Denis
War, Conflict or Mission:: Canadian Armed Forces
Location/Theatre:: Rwanda
Battle/Campaign:: Rwanda
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Rank:: Major

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Date modified:: 2019-06-20