Ottawa orders fresh look at Afghanistan heroism cases, opens door to Victoria Cross review
Posted on: May 29, 2026 22:25 IST | Posted by: Cbc
The union soldier regime has in agreement(p) to set up an main(a) review board for military honours including the country's highest battlefield decoration — the Canadian Victoria Cross.
The parliamentary secretary to the minister of national defence, Sherry Romanado, made the announcement Friday in the House of Commons.
"Honouring bravery and sacrifice and service to Canada is among our government's most solemn responsibilities," Romanado said in response to a question.
The awarding of combat medals, she said, has long been subject to a thorough and rigorous review by the military.
"I can confirm that the government agrees to the establishment of an independent military honours review board to review the Afghanistan veteran cases where new evidence may suggest where the criteria for the Victoria Cross may have been met," Romanado said.
The decision comes following a multiyear, grassroots effort by a number of Afghan war vets to see the case of Pte. Jess Larochelle reconsidered.
In the fall of 2006, while severely wounded, Larochelle singlehandedly repelled an overwhelming Taliban assault on his combat outpost west of Kandahar. He was recognized the following year with Canada's second-highest citation for bravery in combat — the Star of Military Valour.
The Senate and several provincial legislatures including Ontario, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia have passed motions asking for the independent panel to be established.
An online campaign led by members of the Facebook group Valour in the Presence of the Enemy has argued for years that Larochelle's actions deserved to be recognized with the Canadian Victoria Cross.
Larochelle, who was in poor health following his war service, died in 2023.
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