To Colonel Dwayne Lemon, Remembrance Day means honouring the lives and sacrifices of all soldiers — young and old, past, present and future.
Lemon served more than 30 years as a dentist with the Canadian Armed Forces, providing care to Canadian soldiers and allies around the world. Now retired and living in Ottawa, he returned to Carman at the invitation of his father — a veteran with more than 30 years of service — to serve as guest of honour at the community’s Remembrance Day service on Nov. 11. Between himself, his father and his wife, Lemon said they share more than 90 years of combined military service.
“What an honour it has been to do those years,” he said.
Lemon began his post-secondary studies at the University of Winnipeg before enrolling in dental school at the University of Manitoba. Shortly after, he joined the military to take advantage of a sponsored education.
“I never saw myself joining the military before starting dental school, but it’s safe to say I had no idea how I was going to afford it,” he said. “Dental school is very expensive so I thought it was a pretty good deal — and I am so glad I did it.”
After graduating, Lemon was stationed in Germany for five years, then Halifax for two and Quebec City for three before being deployed to Bosnia for six months, providing care to what he describes as “Canada’s most cherished possessions.”
He later completed a post-graduate degree in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he met his wife, who was serving as a military Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. He then worked in Trenton, Ont., where he oversaw a clinic, before eventually being posted to Ottawa. There, he served in several senior roles, including commanding all 26 Canadian military dental clinics, serving as Corps Chief of the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, and ultimately retiring in 2020 as a deputy commander of health services.
Lemon said his career was deeply fulfilling, offering challenges and opportunities not found in private practice.
“I remember being in Bosnia and some young soldier had a toothache,” he said. “It was 2 in the morning and I only had 30 minutes between one mission and the other to make his life a little bit better by relieving the discomfort he was having. It’s a small thing, but anything I could do to help make their life a little bit better feels so rewarding.”
While Lemon can only speak to military dentistry, he said the biggest differences are its focus on preventative care and the fact all services are provided free of charge.
“From a military perspective, our main goal is to make the patient dentally fit,” he explained. “We want to make it so if they were deployed the chances of them having a medical emergency are lessened. Those who have had a toothache know how much it can affect day-to-day life — and we can’t risk that with our soldiers who are already risking their lives for others.”
Despite serving in remote regions of the world, Lemon said military personnel receive the same standard of care they would expect at home. In Bosnia, he provided dental services to more than 3,000 patients from the back of a two-and-a-half-tonne truck equipped with x-ray, sterilization units, drills and filling materials.
“From a dental perspective, it was amazing the level of care we could provide,” he said. “We were able to do it all in the back of that truck — fillings, root canals, you name it. But most importantly, most soldiers always wanted a good cleaning.”
In Latvia, where 2,000 Canadians are currently deployed, there is a full dental clinic built into a trailer.
“Once you walk through those doors, it looks exactly like a dental clinic you would find in downtown Winnipeg — because that’s exactly what it’s intended to be,” Lemon added.
Now retired, Lemon said life is less hectic but still rewarding. He volunteers weekly at the Perley Health Centre in Ottawa — a retirement and health facility for veterans — where he bartends and connects with residents and their families.
“You get to chat with the veterans and their families who come to the bar in this retirement home and make their life a little bit brighter — and they make my life a bit brighter too,” he said.
As he prepared for his speech in Carman, Lemon wondered what message to deliver after five years away from military service. He ultimately chose to speak about the future of remembrance — and how it must extend beyond the Second World War and Korean War generations.
“What is going to happen to Remembrance Day once there are no more World War II or Korean War veterans?”he asked. “Will people look at young soldiers the same way as they did the older ones? I want to encourage people to think about that. What does it mean to be a veteran today? Have they considered the young soldier currently fighting in Latvia? He — and other soldiers — are just as deserving of their thoughts and prayers as the World War II veteran.”
He hopes his message encouraged at least one listener to broaden their understanding of whom to honour and thank.
“I went into it with trepidation, not knowing exactly what to say, and I came away thinking that perhaps people could listen and hear the message of the young soldiers and veterans — and look at Remembrance Day from a different perspective.”
Reflecting on his own career, Lemon said he would offer his younger self a simple piece of advice: embrace every opportunity.
“Enjoy the moments and the challenges the military will throw at you,” he said. “Dentistry is a challenge in itself, but combined with the military experience, look at it as an opportunity. Know you can make a difference to an individual by providing a level of care that will impact their days, their week — and their mission.”
