This wasn’t the column I had planned to write when I sat down at my computer..What I had intended to compose was a sassy piece on what a boondoggle the government's gun buyback plan is shaping up to be. It was practically going to write itself, especially in the light of a damning internal report from the Department of Public Safety which Blacklock’s Reporter’s published the details of yesterday..But l got sidetracked. With multiple windows and several apps running in the background of my computer screen, a notification came up that caught my eye..When I clicked on it, I knew I wasn’t going to write about anything else. It said that Jess Larochelle, a Canadian Afghanistan veteran and Star of Military Valour recipient, had passed away..I never had the pleasure to meet the man, but I greatly admired his courage and what he went through for his fellow soldiers..Jess Larochelle was awarded the Star of Military Valour, Canada’s second highest award for bravery, on March 14, 2007..The citation for the award read: “On October 14, 2006, Private Larochelle of the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group was manning an observation post when it was destroyed by an enemy rocket in Pashmul, Afghanistan."."Although he was alone, severely injured, and under sustained enemy fire in his exposed position at the ruined observation post, he aggressively provided covering fire over the otherwise undefended flank of his company’s position."."While two members of the personnel were killed and three others were wounded in the initial attack, Private Larochelle’s heroic actions permitted the remainder of the company to defend their battle positions and to successfully fend off the sustained attack of more than 20 insurgents. His valiant conduct saved the lives of many members of his company.”.When I learned of it, I joined the grassroots efforts of a group called ‘Valour in the Presence of the Enemy’, to advocate to the Governor General, the Chief of Defence Staff and our government, that Jess Larochelle’s actions in Afghanistan warranted a review and consideration for the award of a Victoria Cross (VC.).Valour in the Presence of the Enemy submitted Petition e-3636 to the House of Commons. It was sponsored by NDP MP Niki Ashton. It called on the Minister of National Defence to investigate new evidence surrounding Jess’s actions in Afghanistan on Oct. 14, 2006 and if warranted, to upgrade his Star of Military Valour to a VC. The petition amassed 14,129 signatures in just four months..For my small part, I petitioned my local MPP’s, the Mayor and City Council of Moose Jaw, and Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant Governor, Russ Mirasty, asking that they add their voices to the growing call for a review..I was overwhelmed with pride, and hope, when Moose Jaw became the first city in Saskatchewan to endorse Jess Larochelle be considered for a VC..But the response to the petition from the government was unfavourable, and in February of this year, an article written by Stephen J. Thorne in the LEGION — Canada’s Military History Magazine, dampened my hope further..The article outlined a predictable, and deplorable, insouciance by the usual Ottawa political elite..The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Eyre, Liberal Government, Governor General, and the Directorate of Honours and Recognition unanimously agreed that no review was required..The majority of the reasoning was based on the fact that, according to policy, all nominations for must be received and reviewed within five years of the date of occurrence..Yet interestingly, that very same policy was seemingly vaunted when veterans of the Korean war received a Canadian war medal in 1991, 38 years after that conflict ended..Or perhaps it’s a case that even asking for a simple investigation is more than the government can give right now..Pity. The spare prose of the citation is typical of the genre. However, here is a little more from somebody who knew him, courtesy of the CBC..Carol Off interviewed Bruce Moncur, who served with Larochelle. Moncur says on that day in 2006, the private had volunteered to be at an observation post by himself. It would normally have two people to operate the two C-6 machine guns..The platoon was short-handed because one of their vehicles had hit an improvised explosive device and had to be taken back to Kandahar airfield. That afternoon the observation post was attacked. What follows is from that interview:."When the attack happened, a rocket hit his position, knocking him unconscious, but also breaking vertebrae in his neck and his back, detaching ... one of his retinas and blowing the eardrum out of his right side," said Moncur..When Larochelle came to, he fought off the Taliban with an M72 rocket launcher, something Moncur says would've been extremely difficult to do given his injuries. "I know the kick of those rockets and I could just imagine how excruciating each of those would have been firing them with broken vertebrae, a broken neck," said Moncur.".Yet despite how angry, and sour my gut feels regarding the utter lack of honour, flexibility, and compassion shown to this file by Prime Minister Trudeau, his government, Lt. General Wayne Eyre and Rideau Hall, that’s not what’s important now — though it absolutely warrants a scathing column at a later date..What’s most important now is that we all take a moment to remember Jess Larochelle for the outstanding Canadian that he was. I encourage you to search out his story and read what it was he did in Afghanistan — it’s an inspiring tale. (Watch it here: Ed.).Few men, or women in the history of our country have ever shown such grit, valour and love for his fellows than Jess Larochelle demonstrated on that long ago day, in a faraway, dusty, dangerous, and desolate place..He was the best of Canada; a son, a brother, and a brave god damned soldier, and for all of that we will remember him — VC or not.
