Canadian Vietnam War Veteran Shares Unique Story for Documentary

Growing up in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, David Noonan was an adventurous teenager. 

After he turned 18 and graduated from high school, Noonan was eager to spread his wings and see the world. It was 1968, and the war in Vietnam was in full force thousands of miles away. Despite being Canadian, Noonan wondered if he could help the U.S. in its efforts to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. 

So, young Noonan made the 2-hour drive southeast, across the border to Buffalo, New York and became a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. 

“I didn’t know what to do with my life,” he told Guelph Today.com. “There was a war going on, so that’s going to give you adventure – like it or not.”

Noonan shared his unique story last weekend during an interview for Global Veteran Stories, a documentary series featuring veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Sitting in his living room, talking candidly about his wartime experience, Noonan glances at a photo of him before he deployed to Vietnam, the precocious, thrill-seeking 18-year-old who had no idea what was in store for him. 

Global Veteran Stories was created by Canadian filmmaker Zach Dunn in 2021 to collect veteran interviews and share them on his YouTube page. Inspired by his late grandfather, a World War II veteran, Dunn has interviewed more than 160 veterans from across the globe. 

Curious about Global Veteran Stories, Noonan reached out to Dunn through social media to see if there was interest in his story. With many Vietnam War veterans approaching 80 years old, Noonan feels there is more urgency to preserve their stories. 

“In less than 20 years, it’ll be forgotten,” Noonan said. 

Inspired by Grandfather to Share Stories 

When Dunn started his video series, he thought of it as a way to connect to his grandfather, John Williams, who died in 2003 when Dunn was a small child. 

“We found his medals and photos in the basement while I was kind of cleaning up my parents’ house,” Dunn said. “My family didn’t know much about his service, to be honest with you.”

All Dunn did know was that his grandfather was a paratrooper for the British Air Force. He served in Germany and Africa from 1939-1945. 

“I basically sat down with all my aunts and uncles, and they each had one story – he was in Africa, he was injured,” Dunn said. “Each of them had a little bit of, you know, one or two stories, but a lot of the time, the veterans I meet with have never been interviewed or have never shared their story or have never told about it to their family.

“So that connection, we’re slowly losing, I think.”

To commemorate what would have been his grandfather’s 100th birthday in 2021, Dunn started thinking about other World War II veterans who would like to share their stories before they’re lost forever. 

After interviewing his first veteran, a World War II soldier in Lakefield, Ontario, Dunn was hooked. He made it his mission to keep documenting stories. 

“I started just calling around to legions, local organizations, newspaper reporters, and just started collecting all these stories,” he said. “We don't have a lot of time with these veterans.”

‘They’ve Never Asked’ 

Throughout his interviews, Dunn has asked veterans why many of them have not shared their stories with family members. Typically, no one cared enough to ask. For others, digging in the past can bring up painfully traumatic events they’re not willing to share with family. And some feel that since they weren’t in combat, their stories aren’t as significant. 

Dunn donates the film from his interviews to local schools, museums and non-profits. Others get shared through social media. Dunn boasts more than 4,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel. For Dunn, 26, Global Veteran Stories is a self-funded passion project that he’s proud of. 

“It’s all about educating the next generation about this important history and preserving these stories,” Dunn said. “I’ve interviewed upwards of 150 veterans, not only from Canada, but from the U.S. and 16 other countries. Primarily, my project has been focused on World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans.”

Similar to most veterans, Noonan didn’t open up about his time in Vietnam until talking to Dunn.  

“They didn’t ask, and I didn’t offer,” he said. 

Following his first tour in Vietnam, Noonan, the adventure-seeker, returned for another tour in 1970. He was promoted to sergeant before leaving the Marine Corps. Not many Vietnam veterans can claim this, but Noonan is a member of both the American Legion and the Royal Canadian Legion.