Henry Beaudry, 93 years old, is an Aboriginal Veteran, prisoner of war, painter, pow wow dancer, and actor.
When you joined the army, was your family supportive?
Nobody knew. I was working in Cut Knife for a farmer. I thought I will go buy clothes. I went to Paynton, that’s down from Poundmaker [First Nation] and went there and I seen a sign. “Join the army and see the world, and kiss a girl in every port”. That attract me. I didn’t buy clothes. I walked back and forth. I went into the post office and told the guy I want to join the army. He says, okay, how old are you? I was too young. He asked me my birthday, and I told him April 4th, 1921, so if you say, January 4th, 1921 then they will take you.
So you never knew that morning you would be joining the army?
That same afternoon I was on the train, I was going to Saskatoon. Nobody knew I joined the army. I went to Saskatoon one night. Then I went to Dundurn, then from there right to Montreal. It took us a few days on the train to get to Montreal. Then not too long in Montreal then in January I was going overseas. We went by ship. It took us a long time.
