Maj Norman A. Graham, CD (Ret'd)
Service & Leadership
Major (Maj) Norman “Norm” A. Graham, CD (Retired) enlisted at age 17 in 1944 through the Canadian Training Corps and joined the Regular Army the following year. Rapidly promoted, he was selected in 1949 to attend an Artificer “Tiffy" Course in England, where he was promoted to staff sergeant. Commissioned in 1956, he transferred back to RCEME in 1957 and held key leadership appointments including Platoon Commander and Assistant Chief Instructor at the RCEME School, Commanding Officer of 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Group - Light Aid Detachment (2 CIBG LAD) in Petawawa, and Second-in-Command of 4 Field Workshop in Germany. He was promoted to major in 1965 and posted to Ghana in 1970 with the Canadian Armed Forces Training Team. He retired from the military in 1974.
Legacy & Impact
Maj Graham remained active in the RCEME community, serving as president of the Electrical Mechanical Engineers Association and supporting its fundraising efforts. He also had a distinguished second career in business, owning several McDonald’s restaurants in Brantford, Ontario, and contributing to civic initiatives including youth programming and tourism development. In 2007, he published his memoir From the Barrack Room to the Boardroom, chronicling his military and entrepreneurial careers.
Awards & Recognition
- Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (CVSM)
- World War Two Medal (1939–45)
- Special Service Medal with NATO Bar
- Canadian Armed Forces Training Team (Ghana)
- Canadian Forces Decoration
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