Prime Minister Stephen Harper honours troops with Sacrifice Medal

November 09, 2009

Forty-six medals presented to Canadian Forces members

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today participated in the inaugural presentations of the newly-created Sacrifice Medal at Rideau Hall.  The Sacrifice Medal formally recognizes those Canadians who have either been wounded or who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country during military service.  Forty-six medals were bestowed today in the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.

“Time and again, Canadians have proven themselves to be among the bravest, most skilled and most successful soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen on earth,” said the Prime Minister.  “I want to thank each and every one of today’s recipients, as well as their families and loved ones, for nobly upholding Canada’s proud tradition of courage and sacrifice in the face of any odds.”

The Sacrifice Medal was created to provide a lasting form of recognition for the members of the Canadian Forces as well as other eligible recipients who have been wounded or killed in action, and to Canadian Forces members who died as a result of service.  First announced in August 2008, the Medals are awarded to those who have been serving under Canadian military command since October 7, 2001.

“The Sacrifice Medal is one small way to pay tribute to those Canadians who have given so much in the name of their country,” said Prime Minister Harper.  “The sacrifices made are the extraordinary acts of people devoted to their fellow human beings and Canada.”




Backgrounder

RECIPIENTS OF THE SACRIFICE MEDAL
 
The Sacrifice Medal and Bar:
Sergeant Lance Thomas Hooper, M.S.M., C.D.
2 Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER)

The Sacrifice Medal:
Captain Casey Balden
2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI)

Corporal Cole Daniel Bartsch (posthumous)
3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI)

Corporal Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger (posthumous)
3rd Batallion, Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR)

Dr. Glyn Raymond Berry (posthumous)
Canadian Diplomat

Master Corporal Roger Dennis Boudreau, C.D.
Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD)

Private Darryl James Caswell (posthumous)
Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD)

Sergeant Joseph Anatole Serge Charette, C.D.
12e Régiment blindé du Canada (12 RBC)

Corporal Ryan E. G. Elrick, C.D.
1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (1 PPCLI)

Corporal Andrew James Eykelenboom (posthumous)
1 Field Ambulance (1 Fd Amb)

Master Corporal Paul Milson Franklin
1 Field Ambulance (1 Fd Amb)

Master Corporal Michael Christian Gauthier, C.D.
1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 RCHA)

Corporal Vincent C. Gauvreau-Roussin
2e bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment (2 R22eR)

Master Corporal Dave Gionet, M.M.V.
Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD)

Captain Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard, M.S.M. (posthumous)
1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 RCHA)

Corporal Joseph François Étienne Gonthier (posthumous)
5e Régiment de génie de combat (5T RGC)

Private Richard Anthony Green (posthumous)
3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI)

Captain Charles Trevor Greene
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

Corporal Phillip J. Guy
Lord Strathcona’s Horse Regiment (LDSH)

Private Michael Yuki Hayakaze (posthumous)
Lord Strathcona’s Horse Regiment (LDSH)

Sergeant Sheldon Herritt, C.D.
56 Field Engineer Squadron (56 ES St. John's)

Private Arielle Marie Keyes-Oliver (posthumous)
30th Field Artillery Regiment (30 RCA)

Major Paeta Derek Hess-von Kruedener, M.S.C., C.D. (posthumous)
3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI)

Private Joseph Simon Maurice Serge Longtin (posthumous)
3e Bataillon Royal 22e Régiment (3 R22eR)

Captain Juli-Ann Dawn Mackenzie (posthumous)
444 Combat Support Squadron (444 Sqn)

Captain Simon Jean Mailloux
3e Bataillon Royal 22e Régiment (3 R22eR)

Corporal Nicholas George Makischuk
Area Support Unit (ASU) Gagetown

Master Corporal Bounyarattanaphon Makthepharak
30th Field Artillery Regiment (30 RCA)

Corporal Joseph François Maurice Malboeuf, C.D.
2e Bataillon Royal 22e Régiment (2 R22eR)

Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, C.D. (posthumous)
1st Batallion, Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR)

Officer Cadet Jesse Lee Melnyck
Headquarters, 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG HQ)

Master Warrant Officer Joseph Christian Michel Mario Mercier, M.S.C., C.D. (posthumous)
2e bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment (2 R22eR)

Master Corporal Jody Allan Mitic, C.D.
1st Batallion, Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR)

Master Corporal Kirk Bradley Noel (posthumous)
413 Transport and Rescue Squadron (413 Sqn)

Corporal Michael P. O’Rourke, M.M.V.
1st Batallion, Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR)

Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede (posthumous)
3rd Area Support Group, Land Force Atlantic Area Headquarters (3 ASG LFAA HQ)

Corporal J. Y. Martin Renaud
3e bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment (3 R22eR)

Master Corporal Joël Émile Richard
VIII Canadian Hussars (8 CH Moncton)

Master Seaman Crysta L. Rutherford
1 Field Ambulance (1 Fd Amb)

Lieutenant(N) Christopher Edward Saunders, C.D. (posthumous)
Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Chicoutimi

Sergeant John Sloan, C.D.
1st Batallion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment (1 R Nfld R)

Sergeant Mark William Soper, C.D.
4 Engineer Support Regiment (4 ESR)

Sergeant Shane Hank Stachnik (posthumous)
2 Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER)

Master Corporal Jeffrey Scott Walsh (posthumous)
2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI)

Sergeant Gregory Owen White
2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI)

Private Joel Vincent Wiebe (posthumous)
3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI)



Backgrounder

THE SACRIFICE MEDAL

The Sacrifice Medal was created to fulfill the desire of Canadians and the Government of Canada to provide formal recognition, through the award of an official medal emanating from the Crown, to those who have lost their life as a result of military service or are wounded by hostile action.  This honour replaces the Wound Stripe.


Eligibility and Criteria

The Sacrifice Medal may be awarded to members of the Canadian Forces; members of an allied force working as an integral part of the Canadian Forces, such as exchange personnel; civilian employees of the Government of Canada; or Canadian citizens under contract with the Government of Canada deployed as part of a military mission under the authority of the Canadian Forces.  To be eligible, recipients must have, on or after October 7, 2001, died or been wounded under honourable circumstances as a direct result of hostile action, on the condition that the wounds that were sustained required treatment by a physician and the treatment has been documented.

The Medal may also be awarded posthumously to any member of the Canadian Forces who served on or after October 7, 2001, in the Regular Force, Primary Reserve, Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service or Canadian Rangers, or any member of the Supplementary Reserve who served in or with one of the components aforementioned on or after October 7, 2001, and who dies under honourable circumstances as a result of an injury or disease related to military service.


Description

The Sacrifice Medal is a circular silver medal, bearing on the obverse, a contemporary effigy of Her Majesty The Queen wearing a Canadian diadem composed of alternating maple leaves and snowflakes circumscribed with the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA" and "CANADA", separated by small maple leaves; and bearing on the reverse, a representation of the statue named "Canada" – which forms part of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial – facing right, overlooking the horizon with the inscription "SACRIFICE" appearing in the lower right half of the Medal.  The effigy of Her Majesty represents not only The Queen as Canada’s Head of State and Head of the armed forces but also as the fons honoris (the Fount of All Honours) for her Canadian Dominion.

The Queen is the only person who can create an official honour in Canada and all Canadian Honours are bestowed in Her name.  The tradition generally followed since the mid-19th century has been to depict who the medal is from on the obverse, in this case the Sovereign, what the medal is for on the reverse and who the medal is awarded to on the edge.

The statue "Canada", designed by architect Walter Seymour Allward as part of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, symbolizes Canada, the mother of a nation grieving for her fallen.  This saddened figure personifies the sorrow for the lives lost and broken by conflict and makes a connection with Vimy, acclaimed by many as the birthplace of the nation and one of the most important military engagements in Canadian history.  She faces a large field representing not only the loneliness and isolation of mourning, but also the future.  The statue depicts the figure of a woman, hooded and cloaked, head heavy, with her eyes cast down and her chin resting on her hand.  She holds some laurel branches in her right hand, symbols of peace, honour and sacrifice.

The medal is fitted with a straight suspension bar ornamented with the Royal Crown.
The ribbon is a watered ribbon, 32 mm wide, with a black central stripe (10 mm), flanked by red edges (11 mm each) centered on which are 1 mm white stripes.  Black represents mourning and sacrifice while red and white are the official colours of Canada, as decreed by His Majesty King George V in 1921.  The bar has a raised edge and bears a maple leaf in the centre.


Historical Notes

Captain Carl Gauthier of the Directorate of Honours and Recognition and Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority at the Chancellery of Honours, Rideau Hall, collaborated to create the design.  The Medal is made of Sterling Silver and lacquered to prevent tarnishing.  It is manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint.  The Medal is engraved on the edge with the service number, abbreviated substantive rank, initials and surname of military recipients and the forenames and surname of civilian recipients.  The Medal’s creation was announced on August 29, 2008.