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Capt(N) Kavanagh, students and staff of the Canadian Forces Medical School and Base Hospital, mesdames et messieurs :
Firstly, I wish to pass on to you MGen Barr's sincere regrets that he could not be here for this special occasion. I am sure, however, that you join me in wishing him good health and happiness. I am also sure that by the end of this ceremony, you will feel he is among us � albeit in thought only, till his next visit to the CFMSS.
We are here today to pay homage to Gen Barr, an officer and a gentleman, who has distinguished himself far beyond the call of duty. We are also here to acknowledge the role his wife, Marion, played during her, as well as Gen Barr's, career.
I will not, unfortunately and in the little time I have, be able to provide you with a complete rendition of Gen Barr and Marion's career. However, I am hoping to give you a fair picture of these two exceptional individuals.
I will begin with Marion Barr, born Crawford.
Marion's nursing career started, like many of ours, as a General Duty Nurse; however, hers started in the 1930's. She then went on to obtain higher studies in public Health Nursing, followed by a Psychiatric nursing course in Toronto, and then became Tutor of the nursing course. From being tutor, she was promoted to Superintendent of Nurses in the Kingston hospital where she first met Gen Barr in 1939.
Marion then joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps as a Second Lieutenant in 1942, served in Canada for a year and then went on to England in 1943 with the 12 Cdn General Hospital (a hosp of 1,000 beds). She was promoted Capt(M for Matron) that year as assistant matron. The hospital then went through a period of field training (they needed a basic fd crse too..) and crossed over to Normandy to wait for a requirement for its employment. This didn't take long with all the battles going on at the time. Indeed, in Oct that same year, it opened its facilities near Bruges in Belgium. In the next six months, the hospital admitted and treated over 12,000 patients. For her outstanding contributions during these critical and often trying times, Marion was awarded the Associate Royal Red Cross decoration (ARRC), the highest normally awarded to Nursing Sisters below the rank of Major.Not long after that, Marion married then Major Barr in May 1945 at Bruges.
Now, what was Gen Barr doing during all this time you might ask?
Gen Barr completed his medical studies at Queens University in Kingston in 1940 (during which time he met Marion).
From then on, he became an integral part of our military history.
Gen Barr was commissioned in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in September 1940 where he was appointed to 23 Canadian Field Ambulance. He then went on to serve in England and Northwest Europe as a medical officer with infantry and field medical units and headquarters of the division. He also assumed command in 1945 of 6 Canadian Field Dressing Station. During these times, he witnessed his share of suffering..
On his return to Canada, Gen Barr pursued his military career by attending the Canadian Army Staff College and subsequently served in an impressive variety of capacities and positions. Among them, we find Deputy Command Medical Officer of Prairie Command, Chief Instructor and later, yes, Commandant of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps School (now CFMSS), then Senior Medical Officer of the Canadian Brigade in Germany and Assistant Director Medical Services at Army Headquarters.
Gen Barr went on to command the CFH in Kingston, became Director of Medical Personnel on the staff of the Surgeon General, and was appointed Deputy Surgeon General Operations in 1966. In 1971, he was promoted Major�General and appointed Surgeon General where he stayedtill his retirement in September 1973.
But his military career did not stop there!
In 1976, he was appointed our Colonel Commandant and has been there since, yes, an incredible 22 years.
Major�General Barr was, however, never satisfied with only accomplishing his many duties as Col Cmdt, he also was, and still is very active with the Defence Medical Association, and also served as Registrar of the Medical Council of Canada for approximately seven years.
Marion passed away in 1994. I find it perhaps fitting that she passed away on Remembrance Day of that year. I see this as a tribute to her dedication to the military, be it through her service during WWII or through the support she provided to her husband and his career afterwards. Her dedication to her patients and her husband's career was, indeed, exceptional, and I see why Gen Barr insisted we dedicate this library to her as well. In Gen Barr's own words, she was a teacher, an excellent hostess!, a military supervisor and, above all, a nurse whose motto was always "The patient comes first". Her memory has, in fact, been perpetuated by Gen Barr in the "Marion S. Barr Memorial Bursary" at the Faculty of Nursing at Queen's University. One of the pre-requisites for winning the Bursary is that the successful candidate be a caring individual who puts the needs of the patient first.
During the period of Gen Barr's term as Colonel Commandant, Marion also became firm friends with the Secretary to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Both Gen Barr and Marion were on speaking terms with the Queen Mother herself whom they met several times. The Queen Mother also entertained them twice at Clarence House and also met again with Gen Barr last year in April. This relationship with our Col-in-Chief is, I know, very special to Gen Barr.
Gen Barr's association with the Royal family was made even more special when he was appointed last year, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Queen's Honorary Physician for life, an honour never ever bestowed.
As well, Gen Barr wanted to perpetuate the memory of our Colonel in Chief, so he approached her early last year, and succeeded in establishing the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Award, award which is given to a first year Bachelor of Nursing student at Queen's University, based on financial need and academic achievement, as well as either employment in nursing as nursing assistants or proven involvement in extracurricular activities such as volunteer work for humanitarian causes. The first recipient received her award just recently and I know Gen Barr is extremely proud of that. Again, this is a tribute to his dedication to our Col-in-Chief, as well as to the betterment of individuals involved in providing health care.
I had the distinct pleasure of working side by side with Gen Barr for more than five years while I was in Ottawa and can assure you that this dedication was evident in all that he did. He would always, for example, add a personal touch to everything � be it when writing a letter of congratulations for someone's promotion, citation or special award, or giving this commandant the Do's and Don'ts of command � which I will be passing on to my successor. His tremendous knowledge of our military history and valued counsel on the CFMS, as well as the military in general, were sought by all who knew him, or knew of him, and believe me, they were many..
Gen Barr's love for the medical branch and its traditions also led him to gather the more important customs and practices that make up the traditions of the Medical Branch and assemble them in a booklet which is now being distributed Forces wide. He also spearheaded, and was the main player, in the design of our CFMS badge.
As well, you may have noticed that Gen Barr's Canadian Forces Decoration now has four clasps, a tribute to close to 58 years of continuous and devoted service..
Gen Barr has given himself totally and unconditionally to the CF and CFMS. His qualities as a physician, military officer and quite simply as a human being have made him a respected role model for past, present, and future CFMS personnel alike. His giving nature and sense of duty are unparalleled and have made him quite honestly, and to many in the CFMS, a beloved symbol of what the medical branch is all about. Simply put, Gen Barr personifies our CFMS motto '"militi succurrimus" we hasten to aid the soldier.
The CFMSS holds a very special place in Gen Barr's heart, as he does ours; it was also very special to Marion, which is why we thought it would be more than fitting to dedicate our library in their honour. With the dedication of our library in their name, we are hoping to remind all who will pass through these doors that these qualities of dedication, integrity, professionalism, selflessness and caring must continue to live in us as well. It is also only fitting thatour library be dedicated to our longest serving military medical officer!
I therefore at this time would like to officially dedicate the CFMSS library in honour of MGen and Mrs JWB Barr. I would now ask our School CWO, CWO Dewar, and Capt Church, to unveil the portrait of Gen Barr which was presented to the CFMSS in November last year and which was commissioned by Col and Capt Munn, Honorary LCol Gibson and the late Capt Taylor..
For those of you who have not yet had the chance to read the inscription on the dedication plaque at the entrance to the library, it reads:
"Dedicated to MGen J.W.B. Barr, CMM, CD, QHP, and Mrs Marion Barr, ARRC, in recognition of their unparalleled devotion and contributions to the betterment ofthe Medical Branch 23 October 1998"
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