# Honours and Awards (Star of Courage)



## Takeniteasy (17 Mar 2009)

http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5664

Well deserved Star of Courage for Dave and Dwayne. Great work gents.
  :cheers:


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## GGboy (17 Mar 2009)

Just read the citation for PO2 Leith. Holy crap 
Bravo Zulu to him


Petty Officer 2nd Class James Anthony Leith, S.C., M.S.M., C.D., 
Shearwater, Nova Scotia
Star of Courage
On September 28, 2006, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Leith risked his life to prevent the loss of civilian and military lives by dismantling an improvised explosive device (IED) on a road in the Pashmul area of Afghanistan. After his vehicle had been struck, Petty Officer 2 nd Class Leith discovered an unstable IED. As his equipment had been destroyed in the original blast, he dismantled the IED using only his bayonet. His courageous actions enabled the reopening of a vital route for coalition forces.


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## OldSolduer (17 Mar 2009)

IRONMAN3 said:
			
		

> http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5664
> 
> Well deserved Star of Courage for Dave and Dwayne. Great work gents.
> :cheers:


And both these fine young men were products of 2 PPCLI!! Well done lads!!

From a former 2VP Sgt


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## Nfld Sapper (17 Mar 2009)

Governor General announces 41 Decorations for Bravery
March 16, 2009


OTTAWA—Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, today announced the awarding of five Stars of Courage and 36 Medals of Bravery. The recipients will be invited to receive their decorations at a ceremony to be held at Rideau Hall at a later date.

The Decorations for Bravery were created in 1972. The Cross of Valour (C.V.) recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril; the Star of Courage (S.C.) recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril; and the Medal of Bravery (M.B.) recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

A list of recipients (Annex A) and the recipients’ citations (Annex B), as well as a fact sheet on the Decorations for Bravery (Annex C), are attached.

-30-

Media information
Marie-Paule Thorn / Rideau Hall Press Office
613-993-2569 / www.gg.ca / www.citizenvoices.gg.ca

ANNEX A - RECIPIENTS
Star of Courage

Sergeant David John Cooper, S.C., C.D.
 Winnipeg, Man.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Drew D. Dazzo, S.C.
 Elizabeth City, North Carolina, U.S.A

Sergeant Dwayne B. Guay, S.C., C.D.
 Comox, B.C.

Petty Officer 2nd Class James Anthony Leith, S.C., M.S.M., C.D.
 Shearwater, N.S.

Mathew B. Vizbulis, S.C.
 St. Catharines, Ont.



Medal of Bravery

Ryan Cecil Atwin, M.B.
 Oromocto, N.B.

Mark Barnard, M.B.
 Regina, Sask.

Jerrica Lynn Bartlett, M.B.
 St. Stephen, N.B.

Gerard Beernaerts, M.B.
 Winnipeg, Man.

Deborah Anne Chiborak, M.B.
 Winnipeg, Man.

Constable Aaron Courtney, M.B.
 Abbotsford, B.C.

Michael Cruz, M.B.
 Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Robert Joseph Kyle Donelle, M.B.
 Oromocto, N.B.

Evan John Michael Green, M.B.
 Oromocto, N.B.

Robert Hardy, M.B.
 Conception Bay South, N.L.

Shaun Harper, M.B.
 West Vancouver, B.C.

Andrew Douglas Hilderman, M.B.
 Regina, Sask.

John Jew, M.B.
 Seaforth, Ont.

Gerry Kuczek, M.B.
 Winnipeg, Man.

Wayne Kuczek, M.B.
 Winnipeg, Man.

Michael David Landry, M.B.
 Regina, Sask.

Nicholas Levi Francis Lannigan, M.B.
 Oromocto, N.B.

Constable François Lavoie, M.B.
 Jonquière, Que.

G. Gregory Lawlor, M.B.
 Conception Bay South, N.L.

RCMP Constable James Allan Munro, M.B.
 Dauphin, Man.

Philippe O. Murphy, M.B.
 Brossard, Que.

OPP Provincial Constable Gino Nolet, M.B.
 Hearst, Ont.

OPP Provincial Constable James D. Orser, M.B.
 Campbellford, Ont.

Harry Prymak, M.B.
 St. Clements, Man.

Daniel Reynolds, M.B.
 Hamilton, Ont.

Robert Ringuette, M.B.
 Hearst, Ont.

Constable Yves Rousseau, M.B.
 Jonquière, Que.

Kelsey Jessica Roy, M.B.
 Carleton Place, Ont.

Shanranjit (Shawn) Sangha, M.B.
 Abbotsford, B.C.

OPP Provincial Constable Bruce A. Thompson, M.B.
 Campbellford, Ont.

Tony Niels Tingskou, M.B.
 Surrey, B.C.

David Glenn Virgoe, M.B. (posthumous)
 Angus, Ont.

OPP Provincial Constable Darrell Wagner, M.B.
 Pembroke, Ont.

Robert A. Walker, M.B.
 Dundas, Ont.

Caroline Young, M.B.
 Conception Bay South,, N.L.

Constable Kevin Wade Zeh, M.B.
 Calgary, Alta


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## Nfld Sapper (17 Mar 2009)

From previous link


ANNEX B – CITATIONS

Star of Courage

Sergeant David John Cooper, S.C., C.D., Winnipeg, Manitoba
Sergeant Dwayne B. Guay, S.C., C.D., Comox, British Columbia
Star of Courage

On February 16, 2007, Sergeant David Cooper and Sergeant Dwayne Guay, then master corporal, parachuted in extreme weather conditions to rescue a man who was stranded on an ice flow, in the Arctic Ocean, in the Northwest Territories. After a difficult landing due to the strong winds, the two search and rescue technicians made their way to the victim, provided first aid, and set up shelter until help arrived, some 11 hours later.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Drew D. Dazzo, S.C., 
Elizabeth City, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Star of Courage

On May 7, 2007, Petty Officer 2nd Class Drew Dazzo, of the American Coast Guard, rescued an Ottawa man and two other crew members after their sailboat capsized during a storm near the North Carolina coast, in the United States. The victims were desperately hanging on to their damaged life raft in 20-metre-high waves, when Petty Officer 2nd Class Dazzo was lowered by a cable from a helicopter to help each of them into a rescue basket. He sustained a back injury during the first descent when he was violently tossed by a large wave. Petty Officer 2nd Class Dazzo displayed a very high degree of courage, determination and endurance during the rescue, which was performed in extreme weather and perilous sea conditions. 

Petty Officer 2nd Class James Anthony Leith, S.C., M.S.M., C.D., 
Shearwater, Nova Scotia
Star of Courage

On September 28, 2006, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Leith risked his life to prevent the loss of civilian and military lives by dismantling an improvised explosive device (IED) on a road in the Pashmul area of Afghanistan. After his vehicle had been struck, Petty Officer 2 nd Class Leith discovered an unstable IED. As his equipment had been destroyed in the original blast, he dismantled the IED using only his bayonet. His courageous actions enabled the reopening of a vital route for coalition forces. 

Mathew B. Vizbulis, S.C., St. Catharines, Ontario
Star of Courage

On July 29, 2006, Mathew Vizbulis rescued a man and his two sons from a possible drowning in the Niagara River, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Hearing cries for help from a woman, Mr. Vizbulis noticed the three victims in a swirling eddy several metres away. He dove into the turbulent waters to reach the father. Battling the strong current dragging them towards the rapids, he managed to get the man to shore.  Mr. Vizbulis then swam out to the other victims, and, one at a time, brought them to safety. Thanks to his courage, all survived the ordeal.

Medal of Bravery

Ryan Cecil Atwin, M.B., Oromocto, New Brunswick
Michael Cruz, M.B., Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Robert Joseph Kyle Donelle, M.B., Oromocto, New Brunswick
Evan John Michael Green, M.B., Oromocto, New Brunswick
Nicholas Levi Francis Lannigan, M.B., Oromocto, New Brunswick
Medal of Bravery

On July 30, 2007, Ryan Atwin, Michael Cruz, Robert Donelle, Evan Green and Nick Lannigan rescued a disabled man trapped in his burning apartment, in Oromocto, New Brunswick. After kicking the door open, they made their way to the badly burned victim, but were forced back by the intense heat. In spite of the imminent danger, the rescuers rushed back into the apartment, which was filled with spreading flames and dense smoke. They pulled the man out to safety, seconds before oxygen tanks exploded. Sadly, the victim died from his injuries.

Mark Barnard, M.B., Regina, Saskatchewan
Andrew Douglas Hilderman, M.B., Regina, Saskatchewan
Michael David Landry, M.B., Regina, Saskatchewan
Medal of Bravery

On July 22, 2007, Mark Barnard, Andrew Hilderman and Michael Landry rescued a woman from a burning vehicle, in Spallumcheen, British Columbia. The out-of-control vehicle had flipped into a ditch and caught fire. The passenger escaped but the driver remained trapped inside the wreck. While witnesses attempted to smother the flames, Mr. Barnard tried in vain to unlatch the woman’s seat belt. Meanwhile, Mr. Landry obtained a knife, crawled inside the car and cut the victim’s seat belt. The three rescuers then grabbed the driver and pulled her to safety, moments before the vehicle’s gas tank exploded. 

Jerrica Lynn Bartlett, M.B., St. Stephen, New Brunswick
Medal of Bravery

On August 4, 2007, 11-year-old Jerrica Bartlett rescued her great-grand-uncle from a possible drowning, in Grand Manan, New Brunswick. Accidentally hitting the throttle instead of the brake on his ATV, the 85-year-old man found himself in the water, trapped under his vehicle. Jerrica jumped in to assist him, keeping his head above the surface. Struggling to stay afloat, Jerrica towed him towards the edge of the pond until she was able to touch the bottom. Others then arrived to assist them both out of the water.  

Gerard Beernaerts, M.B., Winnipeg, Manitoba
Deborah Anne Chiborak, M.B., Winnipeg, Manitoba
Medal of Bravery

On April 17, 2007, Deborah Chiborak and bus driver Gerard Beernaerts rescued an elderly woman who was pinned beneath her motorized scooter in the path of an oncoming train, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Witnessing the scene, Ms. Chiborak and Mr. Beernaerts lifted the scooter off the victim, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her from the tracks, seconds before the train arrived. While the victim was unharmed, Ms. Chiborak suffered back injuries during the rescue. 

Constable Aaron Courtney, M.B., Abbotsford, British Columbia
Shanranjit (Shawn) Sangha, M.B., Abbotsford, British Columbia
Tony Niels Tingskou, M.B., Surrey, British Columbia
Medal of Bravery

On April 21, 2007, Constable Aaron Courtney and Messrs. Shawn Sangha and Tony Tingskou rescued two people from a burning vehicle, in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Messrs. Sangha and Tingskou managed to pull the the passenger to safety, but were unable to reach the driver who was pinned between his seat and the steering wheel. Police officers attempted to extinguish the quickly spreading fire as flames started entering the vehicle. Constable Courtney entered through the rear passenger door to help the driver, but was forced out by the thick smoke, unable to breathe. He re-entered the vehicle and pushed the driver’s seat backwards, allowing others to help pull the victim out through the window. 

Robert Hardy, M.B., Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador
G. Gregory Lawlor, M.B., Conception Bay South s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Caroline Young, M.B., Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador
Medal of Bravery

On December 31, 2006, Robert Hardy, Gregory Lawlor and Caroline Young rescued a teenager from a possible drowning, in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador. When the all-terrain vehicle carrying Ms. Young and two friends broke through the ice, one youth disappeared beneath the surface, while Ms. Young and the other passenger clung to the edge, waiting for help. Mr. Hardy climbed into a small boat and made his way to the two victims, using a shovel and a rake to break through the ice. With firefighter Lawlor’s help, they reached the distraught individuals. Instead of allowing herself to be rescued, Ms. Young swam to her friend, passed him the life ring that had been thrown to her, and kept him from going under the water. Both the rescuers and the two victims got into the boat, which was pulled safely to shore by onlookers. Sadly, the first victim did not survive; his body was recovered the next day. 

Shaun Harper, M.B., West Vancouver, British-Columbia
Gerry Kuczek, M.B., Winnipeg, Manitoba
Wayne Kuczek, M.B., Winnipeg, Manitoba
Harry Prymak, M.B., St. Clements, Manitoba
Medal of Bravery

On March 24, 2007, Shaun Harper, Gerry Kuczek, Wayne Kuczek and Harry Prymak rescued a man from a possible drowning after his snowmobile went through the ice, on a river in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba. Mr. Prymak crawled out to the victim and grabbed him, but the ice broke and he too found himself in the water. The other rescuers tossed ropes and lifejackets to them, and tried pulling them out, but the ice kept breaking away. Struggling atop the fragile surface, they succeeded, with difficulty, in pulling Mr. Prymak and the snowmobiler to safety.

John Jew, M.B., Seaforth, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

In the early hours of February 21, 2007, 75-year-old John Jew rescued his 77-year-old wife from their burning house, in Seaforth, Ontario. Awakened by the fire alarm, Mr. Jew discovered flames in the kitchen.  Unable to put out the fire, he called 911 and ran upstairs to wake his wife. The fire quickly spread up into the stairway, blocking the couple’s escape route. Mr. Jew jumped from a window into the snow and brought a ladder to the balcony. He then assisted his wife down to safety just as the firefighters arrived. 

Constable François Lavoie, M.B., Jonquière, Quebec
Constable Yves Rousseau, M.B., Jonquière, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On May 14, 2007, constables François Lavoie and Yves Rousseau rescued an elderly woman from a burning house, in Jonquière, Quebec. The police officers attempted to enter the building, but were forced back due to the thick, black smoke. Constable Rousseau charged back inside, followed by his colleague. As they ran down a blazing corridor, they could barely see the victim in her wheelchair, which was stuck in a door frame. Together, they succeeded in freeing it and bought the victim to safety. 

RCMP Constable James Allan Munro, M.B., Dauphin, Manitoba
Medal of Bravery

On June 4, 2005, Constable James Munro rescued a man from a burning apartment building, in Flin Flon, Manitoba. While on patrol in the area, Constable Munro noticed the fire, called the fire department and proceeded to alert the residents. Not getting a response to his calls, he kicked in the door of one of the apartments, entered, and was soon overcome by the thick, black smoke and intense heat. He crawled inside to locate the semi-conscious occupant and dragged him to safety. Constable Munro continued to alert other residents and assist in extinguishing the fire until all the residents had been safely evacuated.

Philippe O. Murphy, M.B., Brossard, Quebec
Medal of Bravery

On December 25, 2006, 18-year-old Philippe Murphy rescued his grandfather from a possible drowning, in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, Quebec. While spending Christmas at the cottage, Philippe and members of his family went for a walk across the frozen lake to visit friends. Halfway to their destination, the grandfather fell through the ice. As the strong current pulled the elderly man towards the bottom, Philippe moved to the edge of the ice, and grabbed him by the coat. With great difficulty, he held onto his grandfather as family members made a human chain to pull them back onto safer ice.

Provincial Constable Gino Nolet, M.B., Hearst, Ontario
Robert Ringuette, M.B., Hearst, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On December 12, 2006, Ontario Provincial Police Constable Gino Nolet and volunteer firefighter Robert Ringuette rescued a man from a burning apartment, in Hearst, Ontario. Responding to a 911 call, Constable Nolet forced his way through the front door and climbed a narrow, smoke-filled staircase to reach the apartment. He kicked down the door and crawled inside to locate the occupant, but was forced back due to the thick, heavy smoke. Constable Nolet then re-entered the dwelling with Mr. Ringuette to recover the unconscious man and drag him outside. Sadly, despite their efforts, the man did not survive.

Provincial Constable James D. Orser, M.B., Campbellford, Ontario
Provincial Constable Bruce A. Thompson, M.B., Campbellford, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On October 27, 2006, Ontario Provincial Police constables James Orser and Bruce Thompson attempted to rescue three children from a burning building, in Campbellford, Ontario. Twice, Constable Thompson entered into the blazing apartment in an attempt to reach the victims, but both times, he was forced out due to the extreme heat and smoke.  Constable Thompson again re-entered, this time with Constable Orser, but the officers were unsuccessful in reaching any of the children. Firefighters arrived and pulled the victims from the blaze. Sadly, two of the young victims did not survive.

Daniel Reynolds, M.B., Hamilton, Ontario
Robert A. Walker, M.B., Dundas, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On December 14, 2006, off-duty firefighter Robert Walker and trucker Daniel Reynolds pulled an elderly woman from a burning vehicle following a two-vehicle collision, in Dundas, Ontario. While Mr. Reynolds attempted to extinguish the flames and struggled to open the driver’s badly damaged door, Mr. Walker entered through the rear door, pulled the front seat back, and unbuckled the driver’s seat belt. The car was quickly filling up with smoke and flames as Messrs. Walker and Reynolds pulled the woman out and brought her a safe distance away. Unfortunately, the woman did not survive. 

Kelsey Jessica Roy, M.B., Carleton Place, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On March 13, 2007, eight-year-old Kelsey Roy saved her mother from a possible drowning, in Carleton Place, Ontario. During an outing along Mississippi Lake, Kelsey’s mother fell through the ice while attempting to rescue their dog. Her water-filled boots weighed her down, and kept her from crawling back out onto the ice. Without any concern for her own safety, Kelsey crawled onto the thin ice to reach her distraught mother. Kelsey grabbed her until her mom was able to pull herself up and move onto safer ice. 

David Glenn Virgoe, M.B. (posthumous), Angus, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On June 18, 2007, David Virgoe lost his life when he swerved to avoid oncoming traffic, after his tractor-trailer was hit by a street racer, on Highway 400, near West Gwillenbury, Ontario. After the impact, Mr. Virgoe’s rig hit another car, broke through the guardrail, and then drifted into the centre median. When Mr. Virgoe attempted a final manoeuvre to regain control, his truck skidded across three lanes, rolled down an embankment and tipped over. The impact was fatal. His selfless actions, done at the cost of his own life, undoubtedly prevented numerous collisions, thus saving many people from injury or death.

Provincial Constable Darrell Wagner, M.B., Pembroke, Ontario
Medal of Bravery

On July 22, 2007, Ontario Provincial Police Constable Darrell Wagner rescued a man whose boat was stranded in the rapids of the Ottawa River, near Pembroke, Ontario. Unable to grab onto a rope that was thrown to him, the victim was swept away by the strong current. He managed to grab onto a large rock to stop himself from going further downstream. Using an inner tube, Constable Wagner was able to reach the man’s side, and fought against the strong current to pull him onto the flotation device. Both men were eventually rescued and brought to safety.

Constable Kevin Wade Zeh, M.B., Calgary, Alberta
Medal of Bravery

On July 11, 2007, Constable Kevin Zeh rescued a woman whose kayak had overturned in the rapids of the turbulent Elbow River, near Bragg Creek, Alberta. The strong current had pinned the victim between her kayak and a submerged log. While struggling to keep the current from pulling him under the log, Constable Zeh managed to pull the kayak off the woman, freeing her from her precarious position. The victim became trapped a second time as she tried to reach the shore. Although exhausted from his previous efforts, Constable Zeh again came to the woman’s rescue by using a knife to free her. He was then able to bring her safely to shore. 

ANNEX C - FACT SHEET ON DECORATIONS FOR BRAVERY

BACKGROUND

The Decorations for Bravery were created in 1972.  They recognize people who risk their lives and choose to defy their own instinct of survival to try to save a loved one or a perfect stranger whose life is in immediate danger.  Every year, countless incidents occur, fraught with a great deal of danger for the potential victims and rescuers. 

The three levels of bravery decorations reflect the degree to which the recipients put themselves at risk:
The Cross of Valour (C.V.) recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril; the Star of Courage (S.C.), acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril; the Medal of Bravery (M.B.), acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.

ELIGIBILITY

Anyone is free to propose the name of a person who has risked injury or death in an attempt to rescue another person. The incident need not have taken place in Canada, and the rescuer need not be Canadian, but Canadians or Canadian interests must be involved. The decorations may be awarded posthumously.

Nominations must be made within two years of the incident, or within two years after a public entity, including a court, a quasi-judicial tribunal or a coroner, has concluded its review of the circumstances surrounding the incident or act of bravery.

For more information on the Decorations for Bravery and on the recipients of these awards, please visit http://www.gg.ca/honours/decorations/bra/index_e.asp .


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## PMedMoe (17 Mar 2009)

Kudos to all!  More about Kelsey Jessica Roy.  I wonder if she is one of the youngest recipients?


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## mariomike (3 Dec 2009)

From Reply #4:
"On June 18, 2007, David Virgoe lost his life when he swerved to avoid oncoming traffic, after his tractor-trailer was hit by a street racer, on Highway 400, near West Gwillenbury, Ontario. After the impact, Mr. Virgoe’s rig hit another car, broke through the guardrail, and then drifted into the centre median. When Mr. Virgoe attempted a final manoeuvre to regain control, his truck skidded across three lanes, rolled down an embankment and tipped over. The impact was fatal. His selfless actions, done at the cost of his own life, undoubtedly prevented numerous collisions, thus saving many people from injury or death."

Update:
"Deadly street racer begs for mercy: Convicted in speeding death of hero trucker":
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2009/12/03/12017726-sun.html


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## ModlrMike (3 Dec 2009)

Deport him, I say!


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## OldSolduer (3 Dec 2009)

A quote from the article from the convicted:

"I am a law-abiding citizen who would never intentionally hurt anyone." 

I beg to differ. He may not have intentionally hurt anyone, but he made the conscious decision to street race.

Two years plus a day and deported. Post Haste. Please.


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## mariomike (4 Dec 2009)

Big Silverback said:
			
		

> Two years plus a day and deported. Post Haste. Please.



"Jail term, deportation for street racer: BARRIE -- A young college student hung his head in the prisoner's box yesterday after he was handed a stiff penitentiary sentence for his crime of street racing causing death -- which means he will be deported back to India.":
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2009/12/04/12033791-sun.html


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