Fathers and husbands to get Memorial Crosses

[big bad john]

http://sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/05/19/silver-cross-men.html

Fathers and husbands to get Memorial Crosses
Last Updated Fri, 19 May 2006 08:52:46 EDT
CBC News
The federal government will soon award the Memorial Cross, which is currently given only to mothers and wives of fallen Canadian soldiers, to their husbands and fathers as well.

 
The Memorial Cross, also known as the Silver Cross, was created to honour the mothers and widows of fallen Canadian soldiers. (CBC) 

RELATED: Thousands of comrades send Goddard home

An official announcement is expected as early as Friday. It will come just days after of the death of Capt. Nichola Goddard, who was killed in a battle in Afghanistan.

The Memorial Cross, which is better known as the Silver Cross, was created in 1919 to recognize the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers' families.

Every year, one recipient is designated the Silver Cross mother and lays a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Remembrance Day.

Last year's Silver Cross mother said she felt emotionally isolated from her husband, who watched from the sidelines as she took part in the ceremony. Claire and Richard Leger had asked to be recognized as Silver Cross parents, but were told no.

Their son, Sgt. Marc Leger, was killed by a U.S. bomb near Kandahar in 2002.

"We both raised our son together and [the request] was just justified," said Claire Leger. "It made sense that we both go together."

While the Department of National Defence says fathers and widowers will soon be eligible to receive the medal, the Canadian Legion says there will be no change to the Silver Cross mother designation.

Claire Leger said her thoughts go out to Goddard's husband, Jason Beam, who could become one of the first men to receive the medal.

"That poor man, who has to bury his wife," Leger said.

"If this will help him just a little bit, that would be wonderful."

 

[Cloud Cover]

A nice gesture, and one which truly reflects the times. When is the last time the wife of a fallen member was a Silver Cross recipient?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

A nice gesture, and one which truly reflects the times. When is the last time the wife of a fallen member was a Silver Cross recipient?

They were just talking about this on the news - widows are entitled to the Cross also, according to the Legion rep. The tradition at the National Ceremony on Rememberance Day, however, has been to have a mother lay the wreath, so the perception is that national attention has not been fixed on widows.

They are also discussing common law status now, with the new changes - I suspect same-gender spouses will need to be discussed at some point in time also. The Legion gent didn't mention that specifically but alluded to it.

 

[Cloud Cover]

They were just talking about this on the news - widows are entitled to the Cross also,

Can you clarify "entitled"- I thought they were "selected"? Or did you mean entitled to be considered?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Can you clarify "entitled"- I thought they were "selected"? Or did you mean entitled to be considered?

Not sure what you mean - are you confusing the Silver Cross Mother designated on Rememberance Day with the issue of the insignia in general?   (I may be confused by your use of the word "recipient").

My understanding is that the insignia is granted to any eligible mother and any eligible widow at present, and that the rules will be changed by privy council order to permit the award to the father and widower in the most recent case, with a look to changing the rules for everyone at some point in the near future.

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group09

Here is the VAC page. No one is "selected", the award is automatic to the mother and wife of any fallen serviceman. On Rememberance Day, a Silver Cross Mother is selected to lay the wreath at the national ceremony. Tradition has been that this is a mother, not a wife.

To confuse things further, and they mentioned this on the radio today also, the Silver Cross was renamed the Memorial Cross but the Silver Cross Mother is still so designated, out of tradition I suppose.

 

[Michael OLeary]

More background on the Memorial Cross here:

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/youth/sub.cfm?source=feature/week2001/natnews/silvcross

In 1950, orders governing the Memorial Cross were updated to permit its issue to the next-of-kin of those whose death was attributable to "any actions undertaken by Canada under the United Nations Charter, the North Atlantic Treaty or any other instrument for collective defence that may be entered into by Canada." Under these provisions, the Memorial Cross has been presented to the next-of-kin of Canadian Forces personnel lost as a result of service in the Korean War or during peacekeeping operations.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

From http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=1932

News Release
Memorial Cross to be Awarded to Husband of Captain Goddard
May 19, 2006

OTTAWA —The Honourable Gordon O'Connor, Minister of National Defence, today announced that the Memorial Cross would be awarded to Mr Jason Beam, the husband of Captain Nichola Goddard.

“It is my privilege to confirm today that the Government of Canada will grant this award to Captain Goddard's husband,” Minister O'Connor said. “The Memorial Cross is Canada 's way of showing our profound gratitude to the loved ones of those who die in the defence of this country. It is only right that Mr Beam also be honoured as the spouse of a Canadian hero.”

Traditionally the Memorial Cross, a token of loss and sacrifice given by a grateful Government of Canada, is presented only to the mothers and widows of those killed in action.

Minister O'Connor also announced a general review of policy regarding how the medal is issued.

“Obviously, Canadian society has changed since the Cross was instituted in 1919. We will be examining how to modernize the criteria outlining who is eligible for this great honour,” he said.

Captain Goddard was killed Wednesday west of Kandahar while engaged in an operation supporting Afghan authorities. In addition to her husband, Captain Goddard's mother, Mrs Sally Goddard, will also receive the Memorial Cross.

 

[DG-41]

Here's hoping that, irrespective of the gender of the recipiant, that the issuance of this medal stays rare.

DG

 

[Armymedic]

It is only right. Nice to see a decision that makes sense.

I believe it shall not be long until we see a silver cross wife or husband representing the families on Remembrance day. I think that it would be a good change to the tradition.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

It is only right. Nice to see a decision that makes sense.

I believe it shall not be long until we see a silver cross wife or husband representing the families on Remembrance day. I think that it would be a good change to the tradition.

As it should be in my humble opinion, times are changing.

 

[3rd Horseman]

A fine decision

 

[Roy Harding]

Here's hoping that, irrespective of the gender of the recipiant, that the issuance of this medal stays rare.

DG

+1

 

[gaspasser]

This event (albeit sad) is a history breaking example of the new world / politically correct way of our times.  It is only right that the "spouse" of the fallen be honoured in such a manner.  For the first time ever, a female soldier has died on combat operations and her husband will recieve the Memorial Cross.  Maybe it's time to remove the word female and stick to Soldier, and replace husband with spouse.  There can be no greater honour that we give our dead than our utmost respect to thier lives and their families.  Our hearts weep for the Goddards and ALL families of our fallen comrades.
Lest We Forget.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

For the first time ever, a female soldier has died on combat operations and her husband will recieve the Memorial Cross.  Maybe it's time to remove the word female and stick to Soldier, and replace husband with spouse.  There can be no greater honour that we give our dead than our utmost respect to thier lives and their families.  Our hearts weep for the Goddards and ALL families of our fallen comrades.
Lest We Forget.

Well, Mr. Picky would qualify that by saying first Canadian female soldier, and possibly change combat operations to "serving as a member of the combat arms" as female soldiers did die in the Second World War - though it seems most were at sea or in the Blitz, I thought one or two died in Italy as well while serving at headquarters in the field?

At any rate I agree with your sentiments on respect and given the spectre of the same-sex debate, I would think spouse to be ultimately preferable to "husband" or "wife" - if the proposal to allow common law "partners" to receive the cross goes through, then that term will probably prevail. The question in that case becomes whether or not we are diluting one tradition (the institution of marriage)  in order to strengthen another.