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Any sacrifice should warrant a medal |
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Written by Sherri Gallant
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Thursday, March 18 2010, 9:48 PM |
Men and women are injured and killed every year while serving Canada — not always in the military and not always from enemy fire. Motor vehicle collisions, accidental explosions and other unforeseen events have changed many lives forever.
Ernie Romans, a 76-year-old Lethbridge man who served in Korea in the 1950s, is working to persuade a federal committee to change the criteria for the Sacrifice Medal to include everyone killed or injured in the service of their country, no matter where it happened, no matter when. The medal was created last year to recognize soldiers who died in service since Canada's mission in Afghanistan began in Oct. 2001. It is also awarded to soldiers who die under honourable circumstances as a result of an injury or disease related to military service, or is wounded by hostile act.
“It started out as a Wound Medal, but the title was changed to Sacrifice Medal,” said Romans, who received a letter from Defence Minister Peter MacKay in January, explaining the medal’s criteria.
“MacKay’s letter says that you have to be wounded by enemy fire, which to me is utter BS. I saw a kid in Calgary last year, he’s blind and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life and brain damaged. He’s probably in his mid- to late-20s and this happened to him peacekeeping in Croatia, due to a vehicle rollover. Don’t you think he qualifies?”
Romans met the man, Cpl. Matthew Schovanek, at a Peacekeepers Ceremony in Calgary last year.
Another campaign, being led by an Ontario man, asks the government to extend eligibility beyond the Second World War for the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. The volunteer medal is granted to people of any rank in the armed forces (and certain non-military) who voluntarily served and honourably completed 18 months from Sept. 3, 1939 to March 1, 1947.
Romans hails from a family of military service that goes back a century. His Cape Bretoner grandfather served in the Boer War and the First World War, his dad and two uncles in the Second World War. A street in Halifax, N.S., is named Romans Avenue after his uncle Dave, who was shot down over Norway in 1941 at age 21.
Romans was a wireless operator and tank gunner with the Royal Canadian Dragoons and was injured in Korea at age 21. A smoke round (they learned later was Second World War surplus) blew up in his hands as he was reloading and the explosion set off other ammunition in the tank. He nearly lost his sight and was badly burned.
“The criteria for this so-called Sacrifice Medal now only goes back to 2001, and only if you’re wounded by enemy. If you’re serving in the military, here or in another country, and you get injured or you die, they don’t figure it’s worthy. ”
He said a sergeant from the 18th Air Defence in Lethbridge who was injured in Afghanistan, but not severely enough to warrant the medal.
The Sacrifice Medal was created to recognize any member of the Canadian Forces, soldier of an allied force, or a civilian working for the Canadian Forces, who after 7 October 2001 was killed or wounded under honourable circumstances and as a result of hostile action or perceived hostile action. If not fatal, the wound received must be serious enough to require attention from a medic, and the treatment must have been recorded in the individual's medical file. All service-related deaths would qualify for the Sacrifice Medal, whether as a result of direct hostile action or not.
“I’ve already sent letters off to four senators again,” Romans said. “I’m just going to keep trying. These poor guys that went over there, and people have what they have today because of these people. And people on this committee are making decisions about the medals and they’ve never been to war or in a conflict.”
The South Korean government has issued two medals to Canadians who’ve served in Korea and has plans to bestow further recognition this year, but the Canadian government won’t allow the medals to be worn on Canadian uniforms.
Wednesday, MacKay’s office announced changes to the South-West Asia Service Medal, the General Campaign Star and the General Service Medal. These changes were introduced following a major review of all recognition provided for overseas service in order to simplify and standardize overseas recognition for Canadian Forces personnel.
"We are grateful to all of our Canadian Forces personnel for their bravery and dedication," said MacKay. "The changes announced today allow the Government of Canada to acknowledge the individual experience of men and women who deploy on operations with the recognition they so richly deserve."
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