Andrew Theobald, PH.D.
Gratifying Work
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The primary motivation behind The Memory Project is the fact that so many Second World War veterans are growing older or passing on. I know this first-hand. My grandfather, Harvey Theobald, a veteran of the Fort Garry Horse, will soon be 89 and recently underwent a major operation. My grandmother, Jean McIntyre, a veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force, passed away in 2006.
I deeply regret that I never discussed the war with my grandmother, despite the fact that the photographs that decorated her home made clear that it was among the defining experiences of her life. In ten weeks of working for The Memory Project, I have discovered just how common these circumstances are throughout Canada.
This gives my work with The Memory Project an impetus that I have rarely experienced before. It helps immensely that, for the most part, I have found Second World War veterans to be amazingly receptive to the project’s goal of creating a legacy for Canadians. A defining example of this comes from a September visit to the Sunnybrook Veterans’ Residences in Toronto. My colleagues and I spent four days meeting veterans and discussing their years of service, both in formal interviews and general conversation. One gentleman returned to the area where we had set up our displays and equipment day after day, but he had great difficulty communicating with us. After spending some time with him, it became evident that he simply wished to be acknowledged as a veteran, even though a formal interview was no longer possible. It is gratifying to work for a project that grants all interested Second World War veterans the same opportunity to be recognized.
I deeply regret that I never discussed the war with my grandmother, despite the fact that the photographs that decorated her home made clear that it was among the defining experiences of her life. In ten weeks of working for The Memory Project, I have discovered just how common these circumstances are throughout Canada.
This gives my work with The Memory Project an impetus that I have rarely experienced before. It helps immensely that, for the most part, I have found Second World War veterans to be amazingly receptive to the project’s goal of creating a legacy for Canadians. A defining example of this comes from a September visit to the Sunnybrook Veterans’ Residences in Toronto. My colleagues and I spent four days meeting veterans and discussing their years of service, both in formal interviews and general conversation. One gentleman returned to the area where we had set up our displays and equipment day after day, but he had great difficulty communicating with us. After spending some time with him, it became evident that he simply wished to be acknowledged as a veteran, even though a formal interview was no longer possible. It is gratifying to work for a project that grants all interested Second World War veterans the same opportunity to be recognized.
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