All you need to do to get a feel for how much Al Cameron means to the Army Navy Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS) and the community of Moose Jaw in general is take a look at some of the people who showed up for his 97th birthday party on Sunday afternoon.
Moose Jaw mayor Clive Tolley was joined by MLAs Tim McLeod and Greg Lawrence as just a few of the dignitaries who stopped by to honour the Second World War veteran during the come-and-go gathering at the ANAVETS club.
The festivities were a natural fit not only because of Cameron’s legacy as an airman during the Second World War but as an honour for an ANAVETS veteran when so many of those who fought in the war are passing on, said president Don Purington.
“They fought, they gave their lives and it’s a hard one to talk about,” he said. “Us being a veterans club, when I started five years ago there were 23 and now they’re fading off and fading off. That’s why this is so special. We should have done it a couple of years ago, but then trouble hit with COVID and stuff like that, so now it’s time to start recognizing these gentlemen more than we do… If it wasn’t for Al and the veterans, we’d be living different lives and who knows if any of this would be here.”
Cameron was joined by children Brett Cameron from Halifax and Cindy Gummeson from Nanaimo, B.C., as both made the trip in to be part of the festivities, which came as a complete surprise to Cameron himself when they arrived earlier in the week.
“Yeah, they came all that way and I had no idea,” Cameron said as folks milled about, stopping to offer congratulations and have a chat. “It’s really nice, absolutely, to be able to see them again.”
Cameron himself thought he was just stopping in for a visit at the club, but was regaled with ‘Happy Birthday’ the moment he, Cindy and Brett walked through the door, with ‘97’ balloons joined by signs and streamers honouring his birthday.
“I was stunned,” Cameron said with a smile when asked about his reaction. “I’m deeply grateful, to think that people who have no idea about World War II, but they recognize that something had to be done, we had to do something and we did. We all deserve it, and it’s not just me. But this is fantastic.”
It was hard for Cameron not to become emotional when a special gift was unveiled during the party -- it was only a few months ago that Cameron received a special certificate, commemorative pin and letter acknowledging his Second World War service from the Canadian government, and he made the decision to have the awards displayed in the ANAVETS clubhouse.
On Sunday, the club unveiled the special matte-style mounting plaque that will hang in the building for everyone to see.
“It’s so nice and I really appreciate it,” Cameron said. “They had to go back 77 years through the records, because what happened, happened in 1944. It was amazing when it came out. That’s why I want that to be hanging here, so when the vets see it, they know it’s not just me, it’s all the vets.”
On top of his service, Purington felt honouring Cameron was fitting just because of the kind of person he is.
“You could go to any room and if you feel out of place, if Al’s there, he’ll make you feel like you’re in place,” he said. “Al makes sure you’re comfortable. He has that kind of aura around him, he’s a special, special man. And there’s not enough we can do for him or any of the veterans. Just doing this is a good start, good recognition.”
Salvation Army pastor Lester Ward also delivered greetings for Cameron, a long-time parishioner at the local church. Ward made special mention of Cameron’s singing and engagement in the services as well as his position as a valuable part of the Salvation Army community.
Longtime friend Arlene Ayles was happy to see the ANAVETS putting such effort into honouring Cameron, especially in his later years.
“I know Al is so honoured when the Army Navy Air Force vets do things like this for him… it’s really touching to see that, because it makes him feel so special,” she said. “And I know for us it feels like we can’t do enough, not just for Al but all the veterans, but it’s nice to be able to do something like this for such a wonderful man.”
