US EditionPetition revives campaign to award Victoria Cross to Afghan war veterans
Liberal MP Pauline Rochefort sponsors petition seeking an independent review of Afghanistan veterans' honours, citing new evidence and support from military leaders and veterans' groups.
- A petition sponsored by Liberal MP Pauline Rochefort on August 12, 2025, revives calls to award the Victoria Cross to Afghanistan veterans including Jess Larochelle.
- The campaign builds on earlier initiatives, including Bruce Moncur’s 2021 effort to have Larochelle’s case reconsidered during the administration led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, as well as a 2022 motion introduced by Erin O’Toole that sought to establish a panel for military honours review but was ultimately rejected.
- Larochelle, who was badly wounded defending a Taliban attack in Pashmul in 2006, was awarded the Star of Military Valour in 2007 and inspired calls for a posthumous Victoria Cross.
- Retired Lt.-Gen. Omer Lavoie, who commanded the counteroffensive that day, said Larochelle’s brave and immediate response disrupted the Taliban’s advance and allowed their forces the crucial opportunity to launch a successful counterstrike.
- The renewed push underscores veterans' frustration with lack of recognition and political inaction, while the government maintains honours are awarded fairly and without political influence.
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Petition revives campaign to award Victoria Cross to Afghan war veterans – Energeticcity.ca
OTTAWA — A petition sponsored by a Liberal MP is reviving calls for a fresh look at whether veterans of the Afghanistan conflict should be reconsidered for Canada’s top military honour. Liberal MP Pauline Rochefort is sponsoring the new petition in Parliament. It calls for the creation of an “Independent Military Honours Review Board to review Afghanistan veterans’ cases” to determine whether any of them meet the bar for the Victoria Cross. The …
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Leaning Left10Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution77% Left
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77% Left
L 77%
C 23%
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