GG to Unveil CAN VC This Week

[The Bread Guy]

http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5374

Governor General to unveil the Canadian Victoria Cross
May 14, 2008

OTTAWA—Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, will unveil the Canadian Victoria Cross on Friday, May 16, 2008, at 11:00 a.m. at Rideau Hall.

The Victoria Cross is the highest of Canada’s Military Valour Decorations, which comprise the Victoria Cross (V.C.), the Star of Military Valour (S.M.V.) and the Medal of Military Valour (M.M.V.). The Victoria Cross takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals in the Canadian Honours System.

The Victoria Cross recognizes members of the Canadian Forces for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty, in the presence of the enemy.

The Chancellery of Honours, at the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, the Department of National Defence, Natural Resources Canada, the Royal Canadian Mint, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom worked in partnership to produce the Canadian Victoria Cross.

Technical Briefing for the media—Thursday, May 15, 2008 – Rideau Hall – 10 a.m.
The media are invited to receive information, under embargo, at a technical briefing the day before the unveiling ceremony. This will be an opportunity to hear from the key experts involved in the production of the Victoria Cross.

Media interested in attending this session are asked to come to Rideau Hall at 9:45 a.m.

Unveiling Ceremony—Friday, May 16, 2008 – Rideau Hall – 11 a.m.
Media interested in attending the unveiling ceremony should arrive by 10:15 a.m.

For more information on the Canadian Honours System and the Military Valour Decorations, please visit www.gg.ca/honours.

-30 -

Media Information
Marie-Paule Thorn
Rideau Hall Press Office
613-993-2569
www.gg.ca

 

[vonGarvin]

So they are unveiling what the thing looks like?

 

[stegner]

If the American's have awarded Congressional Medal of Honour to soldiers in Afghanistan and the Brits and New Zealand the V.C to troops in Afghanistan has there not been at least one CF member deserving of the V.C for actions performed in Afghanistan?

 

[dapaterson]

This is a travesty.  Our "Canadian Correctness" has lead us to corrupt one of the world's most significant honours - all due to language.  Apparently the words "For Valour" can't be on the Canadian medal, so instead it will read "Pro Valore".

Meh.  Double Meh.

 

[stegner]

Why is this?

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

There must be more to this

The Canadian VC was approved by Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1993 and the design has been unveiled before. A prominent example is 2004 Canadian stamp issue

Imperial on the left, Canadian on the right.


EDIT: More Coffee required, left is left etc...

 

[big_castor]

Imperial on the right, Canadian on the left.

It's the other way around.  Here's a better images of the stamps : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Victoriacrosscanadapostagestampimage.jpg

 

[2 Cdo]

If the American's have awarded Congressional Medal of Honour to soldiers in Afghanistan and the Brits and New Zealand the V.C to troops in Afghanistan has there not been at least one CF member deserving of the V.C for actions performed in Afghanistan?

A little pet peeve of mine here, there is no such animal as the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOUR. There is a Medal of Honour, end of story. It's not your fault, most Americans don't know it's proper name either.

 

[stegner]

A little pet peeve of mine here, there is no such animal as the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOUR. There is a Medal of Honour, end of story. It's not your fault, most Americans don't know it's proper name either.

Sorry 

 

[MG34]

Why is this?

To appease the language nazis in Quebeq, after all the Queen Victoria and the  British Empire should have known better than only put the inscription in the Queens English. :

 

[vonGarvin]

Latin on our medals is acceptable, IMHO.  But I am only one person.

 

[The Bread Guy]

There must be more to this

Could be as simple as this gov't putting their "stamp" on it, so to speak...

 

[dapaterson]

I guess this means we'd better take back Joseph Kaeble's VC and re-mark it in Latin, then.

Whule I'm usually not a ranting, raving hsitorical preservationist, there are certain things that should be preserved (in my opinion).  And in striking the words "For Valour" from the VC, our history is lessened...

 

[TCBF]

Could be as simple as this gov't putting their "stamp" on it, so to speak...

- Tsk, tsk, Tony - using the words "simple" and "government" in the same sentence.

 

[aesop081]

I guess this means we'd better take back Joseph Kaeble's VC and re-mark it in Latin, then.

Don't forget Paul Triquet also

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/citations/triquet

 

[The Bread Guy]

- Tsk, tsk, Tony - using the words "simple" and "government" in the same sentence.

Hey, I AM typing @ work, after all...

I guess this means we'd better take back Joseph Kaeble's VC and re-mark it in Latin, then.

Don't forget Paul Triquet also
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/citations/triquet

Not to mention ALL the others...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_Victoria_Cross_recipients

 

[medaid]

Should only be 'For Valour' IMO too Mortarman...

 

[vonGarvin]

Given that we as a nation have two official languages, I would offer that any decoration have either both languages, or have Latin.
I also note that for a period of time, the VC was no longer a medal available for decoration in Canada.  It was, as mentioned earlier, "resurrected" in 1993 (?), and the inscription was changed from "For Valour" to "Pro Valore".  As things evolve, that change is minor.  I also not that the VC that is now available in Canada is similar too, but not the same as, the ones awarded to our heroes in wars past.  It doesn't cheapen their award, and neither does it cheapen the current version.
My Opinion, only, it was free, and it's worth every penny ;-)

 

[dapaterson]

Perhaps I'm just becoming a crotchety old geezer, but I think the history is important... and the history does not include Latin (I studied it for four years in High School).

But here's another question:

Where does the metal for this medal come from?  I somehow suspect the battle of Sebastopol wouldn't seem to be "Canadian" enough.

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

Where does the metal for this medal come from?  I somehow suspect the battle of Sebastopol wouldn't seem to be "Canadian" enough.

Best answer I could find is "unspecified".

EDIT: extraneous code removed