I wanted to bring attention to the four soldiers who are going to be honored soon with the presentation of medals of bravery as a result of their service to Canada, freedom and democracy. The old mainstream liberal media, being overtly liberal-biased and anti-war, is playing all this down as much as possible. I heard about it only because I got a news release from the Prime Minister’s Office via email. But then I couldn’t find very much about it anywhere in the media—just a Canadian Press report that made it into some news web sites (conservativegal alluded to one such CP story in last Saturday’s Headlines).
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.
[…] 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 think quotes and ideas being expressed like the following—are the “why” behind our hearing virtually nothing about this.
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.
When the medals are presented, if anyone sees any coverage of it in the media please direct me to it because it will be extremely easy to miss I’m sure, buried under stories about the death count in Afghanistan and rude remarks made by people remotely connected to conservatives or Christians.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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