It’s a Friday morning tradition for Guelph veterans.
Pots of coffee are brewed, snacks are consumed, and stories are told at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 234.
But this particular gathering was both different and familiar to those who came by Friday. Peacekeeping veteran and coffee hour regular Ted Ford passed away in January. His name to soon be put on a wall in the legion of those who have died.
The empty chair count grows.
And what was once a packed room has dwindled to a mere couple tables.
“The only ones left are Peacekeepers as far as I know,” added Jacques de Winter, who served a tour in Cyprus, and one of the few gathered at the hall on Watson Parkway.
He, like many in the room, relish the opportunity to gather, whether it is to recount war stories of old, or even discussing current events.
“That is a major thing to us (to get together),” said Moe Ferris, a UN peacekeeper and Canadian navy veteran.
They’re equals – in the moment, they didn't want to note their rank when asked, saying they just use their regular names these days.
It's a camaraderie they share. All of them have been on the tours, and have seen what many can't begin to comprehend.
In that, there's a certain comfort to share stories in this space, which make these weekly gatherings that much more important.
“To talk to somebody whose never been there … it’s a little hard to just open up about things,” said Mike Roberts, who was part of Operation Medak Pocket in the former Yugoslavia in 1993.
“Here, we can talk amongst ourselves, although we don’t do that much,” said Mike Seitz, a veteran of the Canadian Air Force.
“If a person feels the need to, they can talk to someone whose been in a similar circumstances. The legion gives us that opportunity.”
Though few in numbers, Roberts added there is a big cross section of those who served.
From the air force, military police, infantry, engineers, the cooks.
But with so few of them left, Seitz said the weekly gatherings makes up a small portion of what a legion does, noting the charitable efforts they participate in.
Growing the reach is something veterans are trying to do.
They’re inviting veterans of the more recent wars – namely those who served in Afghanistan – to head over and fill the chairs that once were filled by their previous brothers and sisters in arms.
