Why November can be the hardest time of the year for some veterans

Hearing the bugle call on Remembrance Day before the two minutes of silence is one of the few times a year that Brad LeBlanc feels his eyes well up.

Though he now goes to a cenotaph each Nov. 11, that wasn't always the case.

In 2012, LeBlanc was part of a ceremony in Kabul. In the years that followed his return to Nova Scotia, he chose to mark the day privately, remembering those lost and his experiences in Afghanistan away from the crowds. 

"You carry those memories with you when you come home and you can still smell the area, you can still feel the ground under your feet even though you're back in Canada," said LeBlanc, who is president of the Veterans UN-NATO Canada group in Nova Scotia.

"You can still hear the sounds of war. And it brings you back there in a way that's not welcome sometimes."

The social group aims to connect with veterans who are isolated and to provide some of the camaraderie they had in the military. The group's leaders say there are increased worries about people's mental health at this time of the year.

The relationship a veteran has with Remembrance Day can be complicated. While the sombre ceremonies at cenotaphs offer the chance to reflect and spend time with others who served, LeBlanc said some struggle with what they witnessed in conflict zones and memories can come flooding back.  

"I'm not saying it's warranted, but a lot of guys feel guilt," he said. "They come home and they left brothers or sisters there and they heard and felt what war feels like. Attending a cenotaph brings them back to where they were."

Larry Bergeron, the UN-NATO group's provincial vice-president, welcomes veterans who are wrestling with post-traumatic stress disorder to his home on Nova Scotia's South Shore. He offers equine therapy.

But few people reach out once November comes around.

"It is a time to grieve ... everyone takes it in a different personal way," said Bergeron, a chef by trade who was with the Royal Canadian Air Force for 25 years. His work ranged from time stationed in the Middle East to responding to the Swiss Air crash off Peggys Cove in 1998. 

Bergeron said he and other members in the group are poised to offer support in the event that veterans or their families are experiencing a crisis. 

"And when I say 24/7, I mean 24/7. A call, you know, that's all it takes," he said.

Psychologist John Whelan treats military personnel in Nova Scotia suffering from PTSD. A former navy member himself, he said how people react can vary depending on how it has been since they served and whether they're still dealing with the physical and mental aftermath.