Forgotten Sacrifice: The Victoria Cross Oversight
As Canadians prepare to commemorate Remembrance Day, many veterans of the Afghanistan conflict are expressing deep frustration that their service and sacrifices are being overlooked. The central issue fueling this sentiment is the fact that none of the over 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members who deployed during the 12-year mission received the Victoria Cross, Canada's highest military honour for valour.
Retired Corporal Bruce Moncur, who served in Kandahar Province in 2006, voices what many feel: "Yes, we feel forgotten." This feeling of being overlooked is compounded by the knowledge that eight service members from other Commonwealth nations—four from Australia, three from the United Kingdom, and one from New Zealand—were awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions in Afghanistan.
The Campaign for Recognition
Moncur has become a leading advocate for veterans, founding the non-profit organization Valour in the Presence of the Enemy. Since September 2021, he has spearheaded a specific campaign to have the valour decoration of Private Jess Larochelle reviewed and potentially upgraded to the Victoria Cross.
"Ever since I heard Jess's story," Moncur told National Post, the issue "has always been in the back of my mind." The incident in question occurred in 2006 when Larochelle's unit was ambushed by a substantial contingent of Taliban insurgents at their strongpoint.
A Commander's Perspective
Then Lieutenant-Colonel Omer Lavoie commanded the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group during that period. He recalls being in the area on battlefield circulation the day of the ambush. After the event, while writing the recommendation for Larochelle's military valour decoration, Lavoie remembers thinking, "This may turn out to be the first Victoria Cross awarded in the Canadian military since the Second World War."
Despite this initial assessment, Larochelle received the Star of Military Valour, a decoration one level below the Victoria Cross. This case has become symbolic of a broader concern among Afghanistan veterans that their extraordinary acts of courage have not been fully recognized at the highest level.
The campaign for recognition comes at a poignant time, as Remembrance Day—established in 1931 when Parliament changed the name from Armistice Day—approaches. The government describes November 11 as "the most unforgettable day" and speaks of veterans "passing the torch" to Canadians. For many who served in Afghanistan, that torch feels dimmed by the absence of a Victoria Cross, an award they believe "would be for all of us."
