Veteran who was at Dunkirk watches movie, asks why 'we still do stupid things'

"I thought I would never see that again. It was just like I was there again."
 By 
Johnny Lieu
 on 
Veteran who was at Dunkirk watches movie, asks why 'we still do stupid things'
Watch Next

If you've seen Dunkirk, it is quite simply not quite like any war movie you've seen before.

The film made a big impact on 97-year-old veteran Ken Sturdy, who watched the film in Calgary and is one of the few people in the world who is still alive and was in Dunkirk, France, during World War II.

"I thought I would never see that again. It was just like I was there again," he told Global News.

Sturdy was a signalman with the Royal Navy, helping soldiers reach boats ready to evacuate them from the beach.

"I was 20 when that happened, but I could see my old friends again and a lot of them died later in the war," he added. "I went on convoys after that in the North Atlantic. I had lost so many of my buddies."

Musing about the historic battle, Sturdy's hope seemed to be that people might understand just how terrible war is.

"Tonight I cried because it's never the end. It won't happen. We the human species, we are so intelligent and do such astonishing things. We can fly to the moon, but we still do stupid things," Sturdy said.

[h/t reddit]

Topics Film

Mashable Image
Johnny Lieu

Mashable Australia's Web Culture Reporter.Reach out to me on Twitter at @Johnny_Lieu or via email at jlieu [at] mashable.com


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.


A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.


The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!