Cyril Marten had just returned home after serving in the Second War World when he first observed Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, 1946.
He was sitting on a tractor at his farm in Wapella, Sask., looking at his watch at 11 a.m. and thinking about his older brother, Lionel, who didn鈥檛 make it back to Canada.
Now 99 years old and living in Penticton, Marten has spent each Nov. 11, the same way in the close to eight decades since.
鈥淔or two minutes on that day, he鈥檚 the one I think about every year,鈥� said Marten, who served as a mechanic in the Second World War from 1943 to 1946, servicing planes and ensuring they were ready to take flight.
It鈥檚 a sombre time of reflection for the Saskatchewan-born veteran.
His brother wasn鈥檛 the only person close to him that he didn鈥檛 get to say goodbye to.
But November is also a month of storytelling for the 99-year-old, from the ones that make him smile to the others that bring tears to his eyes.
鈥淲e would go to sleep in the dark, wake up and work on a plane until it was serviceable,鈥� Marten said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say how many were there, a lot of the planes didn鈥檛 come back.鈥�
Marten has lived in Penticton for 40 years but if he had it his way, being a British Columbian could have happened way sooner.
鈥淲hen I first joined (the force), they asked me where I wanted to train and I said west鈥nstead they sent me to Nova Scotia,鈥� Marten said with a laugh.
Marten has earned six medals for his service, most recently in 2022.
When serving overseas, Marten recalls how proud he was when first putting on an Air Force uniform.
鈥淭hey asked me if I wanted to be a mechanic and I said, yes, anything within the Air Force would be great.鈥�
Marten returned home to his Saskatchewan farm in 1946, reflecting on his experiences in England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium and France.
He was a veteran who fought for his country鈥檚 freedom and at this point, was officially a full-time farmer. 鈥淚 did that for about 20 more years or so,鈥� recalled Marten, whose memory in 2023 is as sharp as could be.
His sense of humour and timeless smile couldn鈥檛 be more on point.
In conversation with the Western News, Marten discussed his life, before and after the Second World War.
And rest assured with the Penticton resident, there鈥檚 always an adventure-filled story to be shared 鈥� from how he met his wife at a dancehall after serving in the war to driving twice a year from B.C. to his hometown in eastern Saskatchewan to visit his sister, who died a few years ago at the age of 104.
He鈥檚 proud of his time serving Canada overseas and of his life, too.
After all, the 鈥渟ecret鈥� to living his long life isn鈥檛 too complicated.
鈥淛ust be happy,鈥� he said.
Marten is one of eight Second World War veterans living at the Concorde retirement residence in Penticton.
The local resident will be part of the centre鈥檚 Remembrance Day events on Saturday, Nov. 11, with storytelling, bagpipes and a special ceremony headlining the day.
