BONNYVILLE – William McGregor served in the Canadian army as a medic during WWII and in the spirit of Remembrance Day, the 101-year-old Bonnyville resident was invited to speak to Grade 6 students at École Dr. Bernard Brosseau Middle School on Nov. 4.
Teacher Mary Koziol organized the opportunity for children to meet a real-life war veteran and spoke to the importance of understanding veterans’ roles and how they relate to our current freedoms.
Children gathered cross-legged around McGregor as he sat at the front of the room in his dress uniform, adorned with the medals he had earned.
McGregor joined the military at the age of 19, around the same time his brothers had, and unfortunately lost one of his brothers to the war.
“We joined up and took basic training, which was two months, and then they decided what you were going to be, and they said I was going to be a medic. So, I went to camp Borden, Ont., and trained to be a medic,” recalled McGregor.
He explained that he was given a Jeep to collect the wounded soldiers, bandage them, and bring them to the doctor.
Koziol spoke to a conversation she previously had with McGregor about how he would often hold the hands of the soldiers, and comfort them while they were dying.
“They weren't thinking right. They’d be calling for their mother to come and help them. These are young guys, just 19 or 20, and they’d be thinking of their mothers. They were hurting bad,” said McGregor.
When asked how the war affected him, McGregor replied, “It affected you a lot, for a long, long time, but you gradually get over it if you live long enough . . . There's a lot of trauma, especially the first few years.”
McGregor explained that he lost 97 per cent of his hearing from the explosions he was around during the war.
Koziol had the students note all the medals that McGregor had on his blazer.
“His jacket is very heavy with medals he has received . . . for giving service to our country so that we could have freedom and democracy here,” said Koziol.
Principal Joe Marion joined the class and spoke about how impactful it is hearing the real-life experiences of someone who went through the historical events of a world war.
“The coolest part is you guys learn about this from your textbooks, but now you have a real-life example, a living textbook, a living history lesson that you can ask questions,” said Marion.
Koziol reminded students that wearing a poppy is a promise to remember all those who have died in war defending our freedom, and that wars are still being fought today.
Marion echoed Koziol’s sentiments, stating, “Many countries don't have the same freedom that you have, if it were not for Mr. McGregor and all those who served to fight for what we’ve got right now, things could look very different.”
A student asked why McGregor had joined the army when he knew it would be scary.
“Well, you want the truth? In our country at that time, there was very little work for men and there was no money, we were quite poor. In the army they give you clothes, food, and $1.30 a day. Then when we went to England, we got 20¢ more, and when we went to France, we got another 20¢ more,” said McGregor.
He also spoke about how it felt knowing that Hitler was ruling Germany and trying to take over other countries, and how sympathetic they felt for those countries.
McGregor spoke about rations and said that although Canada did not suffer too much with rations, he knew how much people in England, France, and Germany suffered.
“They just didn’t have anything. There was no gas or cars to drive. If you wanted to go anywhere you had to walk,” said McGregor.
A student asked McGregor what he spent his earnings on during the war, and he replied that at the time, there was simply nothing to buy.
“You couldn't buy anything in a store. If you wanted to go to a show in EnglaSd, it was free for the soldiers, and they had the salvation Army and Red Cross that we could go in and they’d give us a meal. So, there was very little to buy,” said McGregor.
When asked what the secret was to be living past the age of 100, McGregor responded, “Thats a tough one. I never smoked or drank alcohol, I'm sure that helped,” a response that was enthusiastically received by the teachers.
Koziol explained that up until two months ago, McGregor had lived in his own home, and that he had enjoyed a 73-year marriage with his wife before she passed away about four years ago.
At 101, the teachers marveled at how sharp and physically able McGregor was, and Koziol shared that 10 years ago McGregor had won several medals at the Senior Olympics, including a gold in javelin. Koziol remarked about how McGregor was a testament to the benefits of fitness and taking care of your health.
In gratitude for his service, and for coming to their school, a student presented McGregor with a pin on behalf of the class that was pinned onto the lapel of McGregor’s dress uniform.
After the children had the opportunity to meet McGregor, they set to work writing about what they had learned about him, his service, and how important it is to remember their sacrifice.