SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Two New Brunswickers born the same year as the signing of the armistice were honoured at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Saint John today.

With his hand raised in a salute, George O’Kelly watched over the march past. He was born the same year as the armistice, and at 100 years old, O’Kelly was the reviewing officer for today’s service.

O’Kelly is a Second World War veteran who went overseas as an air mechanic with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

“I had no great patriotic desire to go to war,” said O’Kelly, “But everyone else was going, so why not.”

But now, many years later, he says no one should ever forget those who gave their lives.

“We lost people and we’d go down to the tavern, get some beer and start talking and you know, somebody says, ‘oh he died and he was the most wonderful guy’, well we would be saying – ‘he was the best damn guy there ever ways,” said O’Kelly.

But O’Kelly says he left the war with some good memories as well, meeting his wife of 52 years during that time.

“They actually met at a dance and were apart for a year and they wrote letters back and forth for the entire year until she was able to come to Canada. She was from England, St. Netos,” said O’Kelly’s granddaughter, Cst. Kelly McIntyre.

100-year-old Mary Richards was also born the year of armistice, she worked as a former nurse caring for veterans of both World Wars and felt the heavy losses of war right at home.

“I had four brother s in service, two of them went overseas and they didn’t come back,” said Richards.

One older brother named Alvin, and a younger brother named James.

“I remember them as two young very athletic young men. They were both into sports and like young fellas today, enjoyed life,” she said.

The two centenarians laid a wreath in memory of fallen comrades at today’s ceremony at Harbour Station.

"They were both born in the year the armistice was signed, they were both born before the armistice was signed. That connection to the past, we thought that would make the event special,” said Master of Ceremonies, Bernard Cormier.

The two share a fading connection to the past, but one that helps ensure future generation never forget.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Lyall