Four Canadian soldiers to be honoured with medals for bravery in Afghanistan

[Guest Darrell]

Friday, Oct 27, 2006

Four Canadian soldiers to be honoured with medals for bravery in Afghanistan

CALGARY (CP) - Four Canadian soldiers who risked their lives in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan will be the first to receive new medals for "gallantry and devotion to duty in combat."

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on Friday announced the national honours awarded to recognize acts of valour, self-sacrifice or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. They consist of the Star of Military Valour and the Medal of Military Valour. It is the first time the decorations created in 1993 have been awarded. The actual medals themselves will be presented to the four soldiers at a ceremony at a later date.

"I'm very proud to introduce to you four Canadian heroes behind me," said Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of defence staff, at an event Friday evening in Calgary where the four men received ribbons to mark the announcement.

"Incredible soldiers. Canadians have heard me go on endlessly about what treasures they have in uniform and what credentials they are in fact for Canada internationally."

The Star of Military Valour is going to Sgt. Patrick Tower, who is based in Edmonton and is originally from Victoria.

On Aug. 3, Tower led a platoon medic and another soldier across 150 metres of open terrain and under heavy enemy fire to help wounded comrades.

After learning the acting platoon commander had been killed, he then assumed command and successfully got his troops out under continuous fire from small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

"People use the terms hero and things like that. When I think of the 3rd of August and what happened that day - that's the worst day of my life," said Tower, 34.

"We lost four guys in my platoon that day and one of them was my best friend and to use the term hero, that's what I would use to describe them."

The other three will receive the Medal of Military Valour.

Sgt. Michael Thomas Denine of Edmonton exposed himself to enemy fire on May 17 after the main cannon and machine gun on his light armoured vehicle malfunctioned.

Denine then manned the mounted machine gun on top of the vehicle and laid down a steady stream of fire, forcing the enemy to withdraw.

"I was pretty scared but I wanted to get it done. I knew what I had to do," Denine recalled.

"Anybody in my platoon in that car that day, if they were in the same position they would have done the same thing."

On May 24, Master Cpl. Collin Ryan Fitzgerald of Morrisburg, Ont., and based out of CFB Shilo in Manitoba, repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by entering and re-entering a burning platoon vehicle and successfully driving it off a roadway, permitting remaining vehicles trapped in the enemy zone to break free.

The final medal will go to Pte. Jason Lamont of Greenwood, N.S., who is also based in Edmonton.

He is being recognized for his actions July 13, when members of a reconnaissance platoon were cut off during a firefight. The medic sprinted through open terrain to administer first aid to a wounded soldier.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute to the four soldiers, saying Canadians should be proud.

"I know all Canadians will wish to join us in offering congratulations to the four Canadian soldiers honoured with Military Valour Decorations today," Harper said in a release.

"These awards are among the very highest recognition Canada has to offer our soldiers for bravery in the midst of armed conflict. All are being honoured for truly heroic actions, under enemy fire."

The four soldiers shrugged off a series of rallies planned across the country on Saturday to protest the war and call for troops to be brought home.

"I believe in the mission over there and I wouldn't go there and do what I do if I didn't believe in the mission," said Tower.

? The Canadian Press, 2006

Star of Military Valour

Terms

The Star of Military Valour is the second highest Military Valour Decoration of Canada. It "shall be awarded for distinguished and valiant service in the presence of the enemy."

Bar

Each subsequent award of the Star will be indicated by a plain gold bar with a maple leaf in the centre attached to the ribbon from which the medal is suspended.

Description

The Star of Military Valour consists of a gold star with four points with a maple leaf in each of the angles.

Obverse

The front side shows a gold maple leaf superimposed in the centre on a sanguine field surrounded by a silver wreath of laurel.

Reverse

The reverse shows the Royal Cypher and Crown with the inscription "PRO VALORE".

Ribbon

The medal will be worn on the left breast of the uniform, suspended from a ribbon. Recipients may wear a miniature version of the Decorations on all occasion when it is customary.

Naming

The rank and the name of the recipient is engraved below the "PRO VALORE" inscription.

Dates

A formal request for the creation of a family of Military Valour Decorations was signed by the Prime Minister of Canada on December 31, 1992. The Queen approved the Letters Patent on February 2, 1993.

History

As part of the Canadian honours system, a family of three Military Valour Decorations, comprising the Victoria Cross (VC), the Star of Military Valour (SMV) and the Medal of Military Valour (MMV) has been designated and styled. These medals are being incorporated into the Canadian honours and awards system to enable Canada to recognize members of the Canadian Forces, or members of an allied armed force serving with or in conjunction with the CF, for deeds of military valour.

As part of the British Empire and later Commonwealth, Canada relied on the British honours system to recognize service members for gallantry in battle. Since the Second World War, Canada developed its own honour system, and expanded it considerably in the late 1960's and early 1970's. For example, in 1972 Canada developed its own decoration for bravery in peacetime. However, a set of Canadian honours recognizing gallantry by military personnel in the presence of an enemy was not established.

Eligibility

For all three Military Valour Decorations, recipients must be a member of the Canadian Forces or a member of an allied armed force that is serving with or in conjunction with the Canadian Forces, on or after January 1, 1993. Military Valour Decorations can be awarded posthumously.

A person must be recommended by the Military Valour Decoration Advisory Committee. This committee is made up of one person appointed by the Governor General, and five CF members appointed by the Chief of Defence Staff. Field commanders can also grant Military Valour Decorations, but they must first have the Governor General's approval.

Obverse:

Edited October 28, 2006 by Darrell

[Guest Darrell]

Medal of Military Valour

Terms

The Medal of Military Valour "shall be awarded for an act of valour or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy."

Bar

Each subsequent award of the Medal of Military Valour will be indicated by a plain gold bar with a maple leaf in the centre attached to the ribbon from which the medal is suspended.

Description

This decoration consists of a gold medal showing a maple leaf surrounded by a wreath of laurel on its front and the Royal Cypher and Crown with the inscription "PRO VALOUR" on its back.

Ribbon

The medal will be worn on the left breast of the uniform, suspended from a ribbon. Recipients may wear a miniature version of the Decorations on all occasion when it is customary.

Naming

The rank and the name of the recipient are engraved on the edge.

Dates

A formal request for the creation of a family of Military Valour Decorations was signed by the Prime Minister of Canada on December 31, 1992. The Queen approved the Letters Patent on February 2, 1993.

History

As part of the Canadian honours system, a family of three Military Valour Decorations, comprising the Victoria Cross (VC), the Star of Military Valour (SMV) and the Medal of Military Valour (MMV) has been designated and styled. These medals are being incorporated into the Canadian honours and awards system to enable Canada to recognize members of the Canadian Forces, or members of an allied armed force serving with or in conjunction with the CF, for deeds of military valour.

As part of the British Empire and later Commonwealth, Canada relied on the British honours system to recognize service members for gallantry in battle. Since the Second World War, Canada developed its own honour system, and expanded it considerably in the late 1960's and early 1970's. For example, in 1972 Canada developed its own decoration for bravery in peacetime. However, a set of Canadian honours recognizing gallantry by military personnel in the presence of an enemy was not established.

Eligibility

For all three Military Valour Decoration, recipients must be a member of the Canadian Forces or a member of an allied armed force that is serving with or in conjunction with the Canadian Forces, on or after January 1, 1993. Military Valour Decorations can be awarded posthumously.

A person must be recommended by the Military Valour Decoration Advisory Committee. This committee is made up of one person appointed by the Governor General, and five CF members appointed by the Chief of Defence Staff. Field commanders can also grant Military Valour Decorations, but they must first have the Governor General's approval.

Obverse:

[Laurence Strong]

Right on Thanks Darrell

[Ulsterman]

Good stuff. In this case not bad loking. I like the British awards better though-but a FAR cry better than the Australian republican monstrosities.

[Riley1965]

Darrell,

Oustanding article. Also, Thank You for posting the two decorations and their description.

Those are REALLY, REALLY NICE!!!

Doc

Edited October 28, 2006 by Riley1965

[DutchBoy]

Darrell,

Great to hear about the bravery of Canadians!

I bought a new book on the Canadian honours last year called "the Canadian Honours System" by Christopher McCreery. Excellent book detailing historical and current awards of Canada and the provinces...excellent read!

[Guest Darrell]

Yep .. I got it a while back as well. Great book. Especially like the picture on the back cover

[Ed_Haynes]

The book is ABSOLUTELY first rate!

Even those of us in Southern Canada can read it with great interest.

[Guest Darrell]

The book is ABSOLUTELY first rate!

Even those of us in Southern Canada can read it with great interest.

Did we annex someone withoiut my knowledge?

[Guest Darrell]

Well ... managed to find a picture of Sgt. Pat Tower:

[Ed_Haynes]

Did we annex someone withoiut my knowledge?

No, some of us would just like to undo a historical error. But, then, you might not want us.

[peter monahan]

Two more tidbits:

This is the FIRST TIME either the Star of Valour or the Medal of Valour has been awarded since their inception on Feb. 1, 1993.

Listened on the CBC national news an hour ago as Sgt. Tower was interviewed. He say that the "real heroes are our comrades who didn't come back."

One of the Corporals was also interviewed and said when he was called into the Colonel's office he thought he was in trouble! In other words, not only did he do what won him the medal but he obviously didn't figure it was anything special or that he'd hear about it again.

To paraphrase one of the Gospels: "Greater love hath no man than this that [he is willing] to lay down his life for his friend. God bless them, and all who go in harm's way.

Peter

[Guest Darrell]

Two more tidbits:

This is the FIRST TIME either the Star of Valour or the Medal of Valour has been awarded since their inception on Feb. 1, 1993.

Peter

What is good ... they are treating this conflict as one against "an enemy" andnot a Peace Keeping Mission where the definition of "Enemy" is not applicable.

Now that these medals have been finally awarded for the first time ... makes you wonder how long before the "New" VC will awarded?

[ehrentitle]

Does the book include a list of awardees for different honors? If so does it include Major R. Thomas a Canadian Armor officer who earned a Meritorious Service Cross for service as the senior UN observer in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina? Kevin

Edited October 28, 2006 by ehrentitle

[Guest Darrell]

Does the book include a list of awardees for different honors? If so does it include Major R. Thomas a Canadian Armor officer who believed earned a Meritorious Service Cross for service as the senior UN observer in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina? Kevin

No. It only lists the known "number" of awards since each inception. Here is the page on the MSC as an example:

Edited October 28, 2006 by Darrell

[Guest Darrell]

In another book (not nearly as good) it does list "some" awardees in small numbers. The lists are incomplete except for the VC and a few others where numbers of awards were small.

Here is the sample from "Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals" 5th Edition by Blatherwick.

[ehrentitle]

Darrell - Thanks much. I served with Roy Thomas in the UN Mission in Haiti in 95 and kept in touch with him for a number of years. He had served on 5 UN missions and had plenty of stories to tell. He lived an hour away from me in Kingston, ON when I was stationed at Fort Drum in the late 90s. I remember him showing me his MSC and stating that it was a high honor bestowed by the Queen and that there were only a very few recepients. He and the other Canadian officers in Haiti educated me on the importance of Vimy Ridge, Cambrai, Hong Cong, Dieppe, the I Canadian Corps, Ortona, etc in Canadian Military History. Kevin

[Guest Darrell]

Here's a "small" picture of all of them:

From Left is, Pte Jason Lamont, Master Cpl Collin Fitzgerald, General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff, Sgt Michael Denine and Sgt Patrick Tower.

[Jacky]

What is the red sash the 2nd from right is wearing???

Kind regards,

Jacky

[Michael Johnson]

Two more tidbits:

One of the Corporals was also interviewed and said when he was called into the Colonel's office he thought he was in trouble!

I vaguely remember an officer's memoirs, where after witnessing a conspicuous act of gallantry on the part of one of his men, he told the man "I'm putting you in for a D.C.M.!" only to have the shocked soldier protest "But Sir! I didn't do anything wrong!" There have always been more District Court Martials than Distinguished Conduct Medals.

Edited October 29, 2006 by Michael Johnson

[Riley1965]

What is the red sash the 2nd from right is wearing???

Kind regards,

Jacky

Yes, Does anybody know what the red sash is?

Doc

[Dave Alexander]

Red sash - Something to do with Regt'l Provost Staff, maybe?

Also I'm puzzled by the dude on the left being "Pte" when it looks like he is wearing Corporal's stripes.

[Guest Darrell]

Red sash - Something to do with Regt'l Provost Staff, maybe?

Also I'm puzzled by the dude on the left being "Pte" when it looks like he is wearing Corporal's stripes.

Good eye Dave. Not sure what's with that. The article had them in the order stated. Unless he got a promotion with the award?

[peter monahan]

Good eye Dave. Not sure what's with that. The article had them in the order stated. Unless he got a promotion with the award?

All the references I found are to Private Jason Lamont, except one, from a personal blog:

"I remember the face of the man who patched the wounds in my legs and saved my life, Corporal Jason Lamont, M.M.V."

So, presumably a recent promotion. (Another version of the blog has the same sentence but with "Who shall remain nameless" instead of the name.

Red sashes are authorized wear for CF sergeants in some orders of dress.

Edited October 29, 2006 by peter monahan

[Riley1965]

All the references I found are to Private Jason Lamont, except one, from a personal blog:

"I remember the face of the man who patched the wounds in my legs and saved my life, Corporal Jason Lamont, M.M.V."

So, presumably a recent promotion. (Another version of the blog has the same sentence but with "Who shall remain nameless" instead of the name.

Red sashes are authorized wear for CF sergeants in some orders of dress.

Thanks for the information about the Sash!!

Doc