Bloomberg Nursing PhD candidate Jaime Lapeyre was asked to read a tribute to Major John Reid, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, during the University of Toronto’s annual Service of Remembrance that took place at the foot of Soldiers’ Tower on November 11, 2011.
Each year the university community gathers to remember the faculty, staff, alumni and students who fell in the First and Second World Wars, and other action. More than a thousand U of T members have given their lives during various conflicts.
The service includes the recitation of the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written by alumnus John McCrae, the singing of traditional hymns, readings, laying of wreaths, The Last Post, The Lament, Reveille, and the Royal and National Anthems. A reception in the Great Hall of Hart House follows the service and the Memorial Room museum, which features medals, photos and mementos of the men and women who served for their country, is open for visitors.
Soldiers’ Tower is a 143-foot tall stone monument built to commemorate the sacrifices of these servicemen and -women. The Toronto landmark is the site of one of the city’s best-attended Remembrance Day ceremonies, at the end of which the tower’s impressive carillon of 51 bells rings out to create a poignant memorial for the fallen soldiers.
Lapeyre’s doctoral research examines American influences within international discourse regarding the training and education of public health nurses during the immediate post-WWI period. She is also an executive member of both the Canadian Association for the History of Nursing and the Allemang Society for the History of Nursing (Ontario).
Read about some of the Faculty of Nursing alumni who contributed to the war efforts.