daftandbarmy
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Pte RR Thompson, RCR, at the Battle of Paardeberg enters the chat
Consideration for the Victoria Cross - Afghanistan
- Thread starter Walt
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Pte RR Thompson, RCR, at the Battle of Paardeberg enters the chat
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Someone DID ask the question of the former CDS now calling for a review of AFG awards ....
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca
Archived here.
From the article:
Former top general says reviewing medals for Afghan vets a 'no-brainer' for Carney
OTTAWA - A former top general who led the military during the Afghanistan conflict is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to revisit the files of soldiers who served there
From the article:
THIS I'd forgotten about:
Let's see what happens next ...
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Bumped with this I just spotted via LinkedIn.
www.linkedin.com
LinkedIn article also archived here.
Short & sweet: maybe it's time to review ALL pre-1993 (when Cdn VC "began") high-end awards to see which might warrant a VC now.* A couple of citations noted in the article are 2 x Stars of Courage awarded for Cyprus actions in 1974.
www.gg.ca
www.gg.ca
* - According to CP (archived here), "Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defence staff from 2008 to 2012, ordered a review in 2012 of the 20 Stars of Military Valour awarded for the Afghanistan conflict."
Those calling for a Canadian Victoria Cross are missing something.
This is going to hit a nerve..
www.linkedin.com
Short & sweet: maybe it's time to review ALL pre-1993 (when Cdn VC "began") high-end awards to see which might warrant a VC now.* A couple of citations noted in the article are 2 x Stars of Courage awarded for Cyprus actions in 1974.
Major General Alain Forand
Joseph Michel Plouffe
* - According to CP (archived here), "Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defence staff from 2008 to 2012, ordered a review in 2012 of the 20 Stars of Military Valour awarded for the Afghanistan conflict."
And the latest- very good news. The government will establish a board to review Afghanistan era honours, specifically citing the VC push.
I cannot imagine them committing to this if there wasn’t an intent to award a few VCs where merited.
I cannot imagine them committing to this if there wasn’t an intent to award a few VCs where merited.
Halifax Tar
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Amazing news. Thank you for the share!
Haggis
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I can.
"We revisited these files and found we did nothing wrong" is a recurring theme with this government.
daftandbarmy
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Or "we'll make sure we cheapen the hell out the award to maximize our political agenda."
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Most of the decisions that will be relitigated happened under the Harper government.
If you think that won't play into the decision space - an opportunity for the LPC to condemn the CPC for not caring about the CAF...
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I need some education here. What role does the political stripe of the government play in this? My understanding is that these awards are determined by the CF Decorations and Commendations Advisory Committee (made up of one member selected by the Governor General and five selected by the CDS) and signed off by the Governor General or CDS as appropriate. At best one can argue that the GG and CDS are political appointments.
It's the bureaucracy of awarding honours that is the problem and not the politics.
The only link to the Harper government is that the bulk of this war and the acts of heroism related to it occurred under Harper's tenure from 2006 to 2015.
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I need some education here. What role does the political stripe of the government play in this? My understanding is that these awards are determined by the CF Decorations and Commendations Advisory Committee (made up of one member selected by the Governor General and five selected by the CDS) and signed off by the Governor General or CDS as appropriate. At best one can argue that the GG and CDS are political appointments.
It's the bureaucracy of awarding honours that is the problem and not the politics.
The only link to the Harper government is that the bulk of this war and the acts of heroism related to it occurred under Harper's tenure from 2006 to 2015.
Which GoC reopened the file? Which one will claim credit and shift blame?
You are applying a logical, rational framework. Not a political one.
And if the parties were flipped, behaviour would be the same. Lizards gonna lizard, after all.
A quote from So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
It comes from a very ancient democracy, you see...You mean, it comes from a world of lizards?No, said Ford, who by this time was a little more rat...
www.goodreads.com
GK .Dundas
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I've never met a Canadian government of any political stripe yet that wouldn't use any military function as a political event.I need some education here. What role does the political stripe of the government play in this? My understanding is that these awards are determined by the CF Decorations and Commendations Advisory Committee (made up of one member selected by the Governor General and five selected by the CDS) and signed off by the Governor General or CDS as appropriate. At best one can argue that the GG and CDS are political appointments.
It's the bureaucracy of awarding honours that is the problem and not the politics.
The only link to the Harper government is that the bulk of this war and the acts of heroism related to it occurred under Harper's tenure from 2006 to 2015.
With the possible exception of Remembrance Day . And that's only due I suspect to personal self preservation . Getting lynched by a mob defeats the purpose of getting elected.
You have to be alive to enjoy it.
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I see your point but this is the same government which since 2017 has ignored and rejected all attempts to reopen the issue. Yup. I see where someone might claim Brownie points but they'll be called out for being hypocritical if they try to lay blame. If they want to take credit without shifting blame then, okay, and more power to them for finally doing the right thing.
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Once again I admire your attempt to apply a rational and logical framework to a political discussion.I see your point but this is the same government which since 2017 has ignored and rejected all attempts to reopen the issue. Yup. I see where someone might claim Brownie points but they'll be called out for being hypocritical if they try to lay blame. If they want to take credit without shifting blame then, okay, and more power to them for finally doing the right thing.
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When
OP edit w/correction in yellow
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daftandbarmy
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The faux outrage would be more convincing if they'd thought to add a few exclamation marks
Ottawa, ON – Blake Richards, Conservative Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs released the following statement regarding the establishment of a Military Honours and Review Board:
“Conservatives have long called for such a review board to be created and for Canada’s heroes to be properly recognized. Under former Leader Erin O’Toole, Conservatives advanced a motion calling on the government to create an honours and review board with the express purpose of re-examining cases such as Pte Jess Larochelle to award a Canadian hero with the Canadian Victoria Cross.
“Unfortunately, that initial motion was defeated in the House, but now after years of tireless advocating by veterans such as Bruce Moncur and his organization ‘Valour in the Presence of the Enemy’ this issue has gained support once again.
“Conservatives express a cautious optimism over these announcements. They are a step in the right direction, but action needs to be taken, and details need to be provided to Canadian veterans. Conservatives will watch for these details very closely to ensure that action backs up the words spoken today.
“Conservatives in the Standing Committee for Veterans Affairs passed a motion to have the committee express its support for this initiative. I plan to bring this up in the House this coming week and I look forward to hearing more from the Liberal Government on this matter.
“Conservatives are proud to have stood alongside veterans in support of this initiative since the beginning. This effort was included in the Conservative national platform in the last election and Conservative members remain committed to holding the Government to account to see this through to the end.”
www.conservative.ca
Conservatives Expect Action For Our Veterans and Military Heroes
Ottawa, ON – Blake Richards, Conservative Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs released the following statement regarding the establishment of a Military Honours and Review Board:
“Conservatives have long called for such a review board to be created and for Canada’s heroes to be properly recognized. Under former Leader Erin O’Toole, Conservatives advanced a motion calling on the government to create an honours and review board with the express purpose of re-examining cases such as Pte Jess Larochelle to award a Canadian hero with the Canadian Victoria Cross.
“Unfortunately, that initial motion was defeated in the House, but now after years of tireless advocating by veterans such as Bruce Moncur and his organization ‘Valour in the Presence of the Enemy’ this issue has gained support once again.
“Conservatives express a cautious optimism over these announcements. They are a step in the right direction, but action needs to be taken, and details need to be provided to Canadian veterans. Conservatives will watch for these details very closely to ensure that action backs up the words spoken today.
“Conservatives in the Standing Committee for Veterans Affairs passed a motion to have the committee express its support for this initiative. I plan to bring this up in the House this coming week and I look forward to hearing more from the Liberal Government on this matter.
“Conservatives are proud to have stood alongside veterans in support of this initiative since the beginning. This effort was included in the Conservative national platform in the last election and Conservative members remain committed to holding the Government to account to see this through to the end.”
Conservatives Expect Action For Our Veterans and Military Heroes - Conservative Party of Canada
Ottawa, ON – Blake Richards, Conservative Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs released the following statement regarding the establishment of a Military Honours and Review Board: “Conservatives have long called for such a review board to be created and for Canada’s heroes to be properly...
www.conservative.ca
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According to some accounts, in at least the Larochelle incident, new information came up after the submission for SV went in.Hmmm....the Conservatives were in power during the Afghanistan War and denied the VC nomination, and now they're calling for a review board.
UNCOMMON VALOUR UNAWARDED: Canadian Victoria Cross – Private Jesse Larochelle CMV — espritdecorps
A movement led by General (ret’d) Rick Hillier urges the Chief of Defence Staff to recommend a review of Private Jesse Larochelle’s Star of Military Valour, potentially upgrading it to a Canadian Victoria Cross. Veterans demand recognition of wartime sacrifice and justice for Larochelle through rene
www.espritdecorps.ca
The senior NCO on the review committee headed by a former CDS is quoted saying in 2012 after a review of the Larochelle file and others: “After the review, we found that two were a little bit weak, but were still deserving and two were very, very strong. And that’s all that happened." That was 5 years after the SV was awarded to Larochelle, which (and I stand to be corrected, as always) would allow time for this late-breaking information to be shared with the review committee. So, either 1) with the new information mentioned, or 2) if the new info wasn't considered, that suggests to me that the government of the day wasn't keen on giving out VCs.
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Haggis
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I don't think this Liberal government (or the previous one, which had the time and ability to address this issue) wants Canada to have any heroes that aren't activists or entertainers. A "real war hero" doesn't fit the narrative of the peaceable nation.
I would love to be proven wrong.
I would love to be proven wrong.
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