POV

Jerry Nadeau (JN)

So I start with my name and all that stuff? Okay, we'll see how it works. Hello! My name is Jerry Nadeau. I'm with John Banvard.

John Banvard (JB)

And I was born in Brooklyn, New York--

JN

No, no, no, no. You gotta say your name and everything, "Hello, my name is..."

JB

Hello. My name is John Banvard. I am 100 years of age.

JN

When I first met you, John, you were 75 years old. What would it have been like if you didn't meet me?

JB

I would've continued being lonely. I'd been absolutely lost.

JN

When we met, we were sort of in the closet.

JB

Yeah.

JN

And I never had a real relationship. Now we've been together almost 25 years. And when we moved into the veterans home, we moved in together. And a lot of people were wondering, "I wonder what their relationship is?"

JB

Yes.

JN

Well, when we got married they knew what our relationship was!

Laughs

JB

I was expecting we'd be ridiculed and there was very little of that.

JN

We got married at the veterans home and we said, "If you came to see the bride, you're out of luck!"

Laughs

JN

Do you remember that?

JB

Yes, of course.

Laughs

JN

It was very informal.

JB

It was done simply, yes.

JN

We served hot dogs.

JB

Which is hardly wedding food!

JN

Remember, John, I was with you in the cafeteria and somebody came up and they were with their family and they said, "Oh this is Gerard Nadeau and this is his husband, John." I had never heard that before.

JB

Yeah. That was very nice.

JN

You've made my life complete.

JB

I could say the same thing to you. I think we're probably as happy together as any two people you're likely to meet.