Jaxon Hekkenberg wants to make sure history is not forgotten.
For the past several months, the 15-year-old Shanty Bay resident has been on a mission to record the stories of Second World War veterans from all around the world.
To date, he has already interviewed upwards of 30 vets from across Canada and the United States and hopes to one day compile all of their stories into one place either via a website, YouTube channel, or maybe even a book.
Hekkenberg says he came across a news article talking about how there are fewer and fewer Second World War veterans.
"I thought I wanted to interview the living ones so that I could capture what they went through,” he said.
Hekkenberg said he contacts journalists around North America who have written articles on the Second World War, as well as branches of the Royal Canadian Legion and other veteran associations in the hopes of finding individuals willing to speak with him and share their story.
Once they agree, they arrange to talk either over a video conference or simply via telephone. He records the conversations so he can later share them with others.
While Hekkenberg has learned a lot throughout this project, the biggest thing the teen has discovered throughout is that everyone has a story to tell.
“I feel that it is important to listen to their stories before they are all gone, but the sad thing is once all of our veterans are gone their stories of sacrifice are gone with them," he said.
He’s hoping his project will also prompt other young people — and even adults — to ask questions and learn about their own history.
“Talk to your grandparents about what they had to go through when they were young and compare it to what you go through. ... See the big challenges they had to face at your age, or even younger.”
Anyone interested in helping Hekkenberg is asked to reach out to him via email.
