Howard Cameron, an alumnus of The University of Western Ontario, will don remnants of his old military uniform Saturday – one he valiantly wore more than 70 years ago – and proudly make his way to campus for homecoming.
The Second World War veteran is one of a handful of members of the Meds ’50 class who will reunite for their 60th anniversary of graduating from medical school.
“We got about 12 fellas returning in a class that graduated 93, which was a big class back in those days,” says Cameron, a London resident who served as president of the 1950 graduating class and organizer of this weekend’s class reunion.
“I always look forward to this day. Going through medical school was a big part of our lives, and since we had all been in service, most of us felt pretty lucky to even be there at medical school.”
In recognition of their service, the Canadian government’s Veterans Rehabilitation Act (VRA) offered veterans an opportunity to attend university with paid tuition. At Western, George Edward Hall, Dean of Medicine and a veteran himself, reserved the entering class of 1945 entirely for veterans.
The Saturday ceremony will be held at 10:45 a.m. in the lobby of the Medical Sciences Building with a short welcome from Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Dean Michael Strong, followed by a reading of the names of the deceased members of the class, and a bugler playing the last post and reveille.
The group will then march to the Great Hall for the dean’s reunion lunch.
“March is not quite the word for it these days. It’s more of a straggle, I guess,” laughs Cameron.
Over the years, Cameron and the other members of the graduating class have made a point of giving back to Western, in hopes other students will benefit as they did. The Meds ’50 Bursary Fund, created by the graduating class, has helped more than 50 medical students achieve their dream of becoming a doctor.
While practices have been set up across North America and beyond over the decades, Cameron adds there is always an unbreakable bond between he and his classmates. “We’ve been a pretty good class from that standpoint. We were known as the Veterans Class, with all of us from the Second World War. That gave us the bond and we hung in pretty well over the years.”
With their class motto being “Don’t let the bastards wear you down” – changed over the years to “Service is a lifetime commitment” – Cameron looks forward to each opportunity he gets to share time with his fellow veteran classmates.
“I think it’s the fellowship we once experienced and all the old memories that I enjoy so much,” he says, laughing that some of the stories keep getting embellished over the years. “We’re all very proud members of the Meds ’50.”