The First Medal Just Landed — Time to Test the Idea

I'm writing this with the medal sitting on my desk, still wrapped in the ziplocked pouch and little paper ID tag. It's the first one for the project, and seeing the name stamped along the edge suddenly makes this whole project feel real. 

The WW1 CEF Victory Medal of Private T.D.A McMeekin

Private T.D.A. McMeekin

Service Number: 69330. 

43rd Canadian Infantry, Cameron Highlanders. 

I've been thinking about this idea for months, sketching versions of it, talking myself in circles about "how it might work." But holding an actual medal from an actual soldier? That cuts through the noise fast. 

A Good Fit for the First Test 

I didn't know much about McMeekin when I bought the medal from a local seller. Still don't, really. Just what I can see on the paper tag: 

• He was a teacher. 

• He served with the Cameron Highlanders. 

• He was wounded twice, once by gas, once by a bullet. 

That's it. Four scraps of information. But honestly, that's the sweet spot. Enough to point somewhere, not enough to spoil the mystery. 

I like that he was a teacher. There's something fitting about starting this project with someone who stood in a classroom long before I ever did. 

Classroom Date Locked In 

A local Grade 5 teacher asked me to come in on November 14th so that this medal will be in students' hands in a couple of weeks. It's after Remembrance Day, which isn't ideal, but the timing is what it is. 

Doing it after the 11th might help. The formal stuff will be done. The kids will have questions nobody had time for during the assemblies. And now there's a tangible object to chase, not a slideshow, not a canned biography, but a single medal with a half-known story. 

What Happens Next 

Starting tonight, I'll begin digging into McMeekins' service records — whatever I can find quickly. I'm not trying to build a perfect timeline. I want enough threads for the class to pull on. 

Every detail I find, I'll share here.

For Now we will call it a great first step. One medal. A name I didn't know until this morning, and a Grade 5 class waiting on the other side of Remembrance Day. 

More to come. I'll keep you posted. 

-Dan Barnfield