Sacrifice Medal Mega Thread

[the 48th regulator]

However, is it optional for uniforms?

dileas

tess

 

[armyvern]

It will be worn on the uniform Tess. The first highlighted sentence confirms that.

Will be worn on uniform; optional once retired.

 

[Michael OLeary]

I suppose this may be interpreted at the "optional" aspect:

6. Claims and Entitlements:  All CF members who consider that they are entitled to a wound stripe may initiate a claim to their CO.

Though once requested and presented, it's part of your uniform IAW the Dress regulation.

 

[the 48th regulator]

That is what I thought.

I have seen too many people indicate that they wear what they want, and confirmnation by some that it is okay.  Especially in this thread.  I thought the good old Military had gone and changed on me.

dileas

tess

 

[Badanai]

A big change since we got awarded ours wound strips eh Tess.. In fact wasn't  it me that got yours, since Toronto didn't have them.  I got yours from Petawawa supply. Its been awhile and they say memory is the first to go LOL

 

[the 48th regulator]

A big change since we got awarded ours wound strips eh Tess.. In fact wasn't  it me that got yours, since Toronto didn't have them.  I got yours from Petawawa supply. Its been awhile and they say memory is the first to go LOL

That's right, the only option they gave us was put the stripe on, or put white paint on rocks.

dileas

tess

 

[Privateer]

It appears that the medal is in the works:

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Worthington_Peter/2007/09/04/pf-4468648.html

'Crimson Maple Leaf' misguided
By PETER WORTHINGTON

The Canadian government is considering issuing a new medal for military personnel wounded by enemy action -- our version of the U.S. Purple Heart, awarded to those who are wounded or killed by the enemy.

Several groups of veterans have been lobbying for this. A letter by Gordon O'Connor shortly before he was replaced as defence minister seems to confirm that a design is already being created.

If authorized, such a medal seems bound to provoke controversy. As well as being a sort of "monkey see, monkey do" copycat of the Purple Heart, it puts those wounded in Afghanistan on a pedestal higher than those wounded in the Second World War and Korea, where casualties were greater.

Presently, those wounded wear a embroidered gold wound stripe on the left sleeve of their uniform.

Terry Herrett, president of the Surrey, B.C. chapter of the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association (CPVA) submitted a proposed design for the wound medal to his MP, Mark Warawa, who forwarded it to then-defence minister O'Connor.

Herrett proposes calling the medal the "Purple Cross," with a purple ribbon flanked by white and red stripes, with the purple embossed on the cross.

O'Connor wrote to Herrett: "Creating a new medal is the right thing to do. You will be pleased to know that upon taking office I directed the Canadian Forces to begin working on the creation of a new medal to replace the Wound Stripe."

PROPOSALS

DND and the Governor General's office are reviewing proposals.

O'Connor's successor in defence, Peter MacKay, is unlikely to second-guess his predecessor on this issue, since O'Connor is a retired brigadier-general.

Murray Sinnot, an ex-solder and retired Windsor , Ont., police officer has lobbied veterans groups, MPs and even Don Cherry about the wound medal, which he suggests could be called the "Crimson Maple Leaf."

While there's wide support to honour those killed or wounded in Afghanistan (Herrett proposes that those killed in action get the new medal posthumously), veterans of WWII and Korea were often bemused at the American custom of awarding a medal to those wounded.

Canadian soldiers used to feel it was better not to be wounded.

Ray Kekkonen, vice-president of the CPVA, says his organization has made no official decision about the wound medal, and that Herrett's design "is purely personal." The Royal Canadian Legion is also noncommittal. Vince Courtenay, a Korean veteran and publisher of Koreavetnews.com has "no argument with the concept" but dislikes calling it the copycat "Purple Cross," and prefers the medal not to be in the form of a cross, "which usually denotes valour."

Cliff Chadderton, chairman of the National Council of Veteran Associations (56 member organizations) who lost a leg in WWII while an officer with the Winnipeg Rifles in Holland, thinks awarding a medal for getting wounded "is heading in the wrong direction."

SLIGHTED

To award a medal to the wounded of Afghanistan could be interpreted as a slight to those thousands who were casualties in WWII, Korea and on UN peacekeeping missions. Such a medal would almost have to be awarded retrospectively to the wounded of past wars -- a huge bureaucratic nightmare. And, again, imitating the Americans.

Canada already dishes out more service medals than in WWI, WWII and Korea combined. Our soldiers have always tried not to get wounded, and kept casualties low. If a medal is authorized for being wounded, that tradition may be about to end, with some individuals seeking light wounds in order to get a medal.

 

[Badanai]

I like the last post except the part stating that troops will look to get slightly injured to receive an medal. Thats just nuts getting injured is not a fun way to get a medal

 

[RHFC_piper]

Huh... Interesting.

O'Connor wrote to Herrett: "Creating a new medal is the right thing to do. You will be pleased to know that upon taking office I directed the Canadian Forces to begin working on the creation of a new medal to replace the Wound Stripe."

Replace?  Just from my own perspective, I see a slight problem...

The Canadian government is considering issuing a new medal for military personnel wounded by enemy action

Soooo.... what about friendly fire?  No medal and no ribbon?  Not that it really matters either way... but some soldiers wounded by friendly fire might want to retain their Wound Stripe as a reminder of friends lost in the event (thats how I see it), or, as others have discussed, some might not want to wear a symbol of their injuries at all... sooo, no wound stripe means no options and no insignia for those wounded in combat, but not by the enemy... and if the medal is awarded to those who have been wounded in FF in combat, what about those who don't want to wear it...  Too many problems.

While there's wide support to honour those killed or wounded in Afghanistan (Herrett proposes that those killed in action get the new medal posthumously), veterans of WWII and Korea were often bemused at the American custom of awarding a medal to those wounded.

Someone get the can opener... here's a can of worms.

Canadian soldiers used to feel it was better not to be wounded.

Used to?  I didn't think it was 'good times'...  :

To award a medal to the wounded of Afghanistan could be interpreted as a slight to those thousands who were casualties in WWII, Korea and on UN peacekeeping missions. Such a medal would almost have to be awarded retrospectively to the wounded of past wars -- a huge bureaucratic nightmare. And, again, imitating the Americans.

Yeah... I have an idea... lets spend time and money changing something which works just fine as it instead of using those resources to, oh, I don't know... Improve how we care for those wounded in battle... which is already a "bureaucratic nightmare".

If a medal is authorized for being wounded, that tradition may be about to end, with some individuals seeking light wounds in order to get a medal.

Wow...  I don't know. You can get a pretty spiffy medal for not getting shot... Canadian Decoration. Just gotta live long enough to get it.

I'll trade all the medals in the CF for the hunk of my leg thats rotting in the sands of Kandahar... and no "crimson maple leaf" will ever make up for the fine soldiers who fell in battle, or the countless others who are now lost to the CF due to their injuries.

I'd rather be able to wear my uniform than have a medal with no uniform to wear it on...  I don't think any reasonable soldier would put themselves at that kind of risk for a ribbon and a hunk of metal.

 

[Greymatters]

From previous post - "SLIGHTED - To award a medal to the wounded of Afghanistan could be interpreted as a slight to those thousands who were casualties in WWII, Korea and on UN peacekeeping missions. Such a medal would almost have to be awarded retrospectively to the wounded of past wars -- a huge bureaucratic nightmare. And, again, imitating the Americans.  Canada already dishes out more service medals than in WWI, WWII and Korea combined. Our soldiers have always tried not to get wounded, and kept casualties low. If a medal is authorized for being wounded, that tradition may be about to end, with some individuals seeking light wounds in order to get a medal."

I think this is the wrong attitude to take.  It is not the current soldiers' fault that previous Canadian governments failed to recognize previous serving members for their sacrifices.  Why not complain about the extra phone calls (30 minutes per week) or the Internet access?  After all, nobody in WW1, 2, or Korea had this.  Why should we get body armour when nobody in previous wars had it?  Come on, we should be standing on a soapbox and complaining why it took so long, not griping about how the troops are getting something we didnt get before.  

Reference the implications that some individuals may try to get wounded just to get a medal.  Someone has been watching too many episodes of MASH when the cowardly and unethical Frank Burns tried to get his Purple Heart.  Granted, there may be one or two guys out of several thousands who may try this, maybe, but its not a serious problem to consider.  What should be considered will be the thorny quagmire of defining what is and is not an injury deserving a medal, and how severe the injury has to be to qualify.

 

[HItorMiss]

Don't want it, don't need it!

My stripe connects me to all those before me, I am more then happy to wear it. Though I would rather not have been given it period.

Greymatter to answer your question on criteria all one would need to do is carry over the criteria for the wound stripe no need to reinvent the wheel. Still I would rather not have it exist at all and stick with the wound stripe.

 

[geo]

For most serving members, the wound stripe on their uniform does the same thing as the proposed medal
Thus, there is no real need for the medal - for serving members.

Former members who have suffered from wounds, there is no option to wear a wound stripe on their blazer or jacket.  For those that wish to show they have been caught in the sights of the ennemy and lived to tell the tale, the new gong makes sense... but, again, past members have never seen a need to advertise their injuries.

 

[Franko]

Former members who have suffered from wounds, there is no option to wear a wound stripe on their blazer or jacket.  For those that wish to show they have been caught in the sights of the ennemy and lived to tell the tale, the new gong makes sense... but, again, past members have never seen a need to advertise their injuries.

I thought that if you were awarded the stripe that you were also allowed to wear it on appropriate civilian attire?

Regards

 

[geo]

I am sure you can BUT, how many people have you ever seen wearing a wound stripe on their blazer?
In 35 yrs, I haven't met one

 

[the 48th regulator]

For most serving members, the wound stripe on their uniform does the same thing as the proposed medal
Thus, there is no real need for the medal - for serving members.

Former members who have suffered from wounds, there is no option to wear a wound stripe on their blazer or jacket.  For those that wish to show they have been caught in the sights of the ennemy and lived to tell the tale, the new gong makes sense... but, again, past members have never seen a need to advertise their injuries.

Here here, exactly why I haven't.

I thought that if you were awarded the stripe that you were also allowed to wear it on appropriate civilian attire?

Regards

I am not about to sew one on my suit, I wear it to other functions, unless they continued an old tradition and issued metal ones that you pin on.

Either way, I am proud of every thing I have done, even being wounded, as I did it while serving my country.  Yep, wearing the blue beret, but it was my thick skull that saved me!

dileas

tess

 

[Badanai]

That's right Tess it was your thick head that saved ya LOL Love ya brother..There is a long way to go in honoring and taking care of our injured soldiers. Hopefully they'll put in just the same amount of effort with the injured are they do with the repatriation. I am reading the Needs analyzes oh the injured soldiers returning to Canada. Wow the stories. Its scary to hear that the treatment of returning injured soldiers has not gotten better since we were injured Tess.

 

[medaid]

Well I don't know about that Cutter2001ca

I know a guy personally whose been injured overseas, and is getting treatment for his injuries, albeit finally. I think things are slowly coming around. I mean, yes it's taking time, and yes sometimes you wish you could smack them, but still... progress is coming. Slowly...

 

[the 48th regulator]

agreed,

Slowly....very slowly...

dileas

tess

 

[Badanai]

hey I am not saying its all bad... The report I am reading was just done by OSSIS to the CDS. When they send injured soldiers home that have to use crutches and carried they're kit and have to take civi airplanes to get back to Canada.. I think there is a problem. When solders wake up in a German hospital and no one speaks English to the soldier problem. When a soldier is in a hospital for months and no one from the until or military contacts or goes and sees them I see a problem. But theses are stories told in the report to the CDS

 

[medaid]

I too see that as a problem. No contact from your unit or the military is just wrong. We're a family. Brothers and Sisters in arms, and we should take care of one another. If that means driving to a hospital near me to visit a soldier who I don't know, and have never met before, well so be it.

One thing that annoyed me greatly is that most Reserve unit do not have a good rear party system in place, thus ignoring the family of the dployed members. Which causes much grief, and doesn't make the family too supportive of the military in general.

But hey, that's another topic all together...