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Seeking a medal for a navy mom Published Wednesday June 11th, 2008
OTTAWA - The mother of the Canadian navy officer who died after a fire
on the submarine HMCS Chicoutimi in 2004 would like to receive the
Memorial Cross.
Saint John Liberal MP Paul Zed also thinks Deborah Sullivan deserves the
medal awarded since 1919 to the mothers and widows of members of
Canada's armed forces who have died on active duty.
It's the medal generations of Canadians who have not seen war have seen
on the stoic Silver Cross mothers who lay wreaths during Remembrance Day
ceremonies.
But Sullivan isn't eligible.
Her son Lieut. Christopher Saunders, a combat engineer, died on a
mission that seemed routine - the maiden voyage from Scotland to Halifax
of a diesel-electric submarine, one of four Canada had bought from the
United Kingdom.
But Saunders was not in a "special duty area," so his widow and his
mother did not qualify to receive medals honouring his sacrifice.
Sullivan asked Zed for help and on Tuesday, Zed introduced a motion in
the House of Commons to award the medals to all mothers and widows of
soldiers who died on active duty regardless of location since Sept. 3,
1945, the formal end of the Second World War.
"Deborah Sullivan will always be Chris's mom, and she deserves to have
this medal in honour of his brave service to Canada," Zed said in the
House of Commons.
He has written all MPs seeking their support.
"We don't know if we can solve this, but this begins the journey to
solve it," said Zed, who had presented Sullivan in 2004 with the flag
that flew at half-staff from the Peace Tower in honour of her son's
sacrifice.
Sullivan recalled how senior representatives of the military and the
government of Canada all praised her son for his devotion to duty in
public ceremonies and in private letters of condolence after his death.
"It was made to be a very big deal for our country but now they're
telling me he doesn't qualify for the medal," she said.
She does not understand why the rules about the medal should exclude her
and other wives and widows.
"He died in the service of his country while on active duty and I
believe that by choosing certain people who qualify and others who
aren't is discriminatory toward a lot of families," she said.
Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said the government is always
willing to look at any proposal recognizing the sacrifices of members of
the Armed Forces and their families.
"That's what we had in mind when we brought in the changes we did in
2006 to the Memorial Cross," said Thompson.
The changes in 2006 allowed up to three recipients to be eligible if
they had been previously named by the member of the Armed Forces who
dies, no matter where the death occurred.
Thompson said he wondered why Zed would pick the end of the Second World
War rather than 1919, which is when the medal was struck. He said that's
one among many aspects of Zed's motion that would have to be debated in
the Commons.
Saunders, 32, of Quispamsis, left a wife and two young sons.
Sullivan, who has several relatives who served in the military, said she
assumed after her son's death that she'd eventually be contacted by the
government and awarded the medal.
After a long time with no word from the government Saunders' widow Gwen
began making inquiries, only to learn they weren't eligible.
Sullivan wasn't the only person to expect she'd receive the medal after
her son's high-profile sacrifice.
She recalls being asked to be Silver Cross mother at a Remembrance Day
ceremony in Saint John, but "I was quite embarrassed and upset to have
to inform this lady that I was not a Silver Cross mother."
OTTAWA - The mother of the Canadian navy officer who died after a fire
on the submarine HMCS Chicoutimi in 2004 would like to receive the
Memorial Cross.
Saint John Liberal MP Paul Zed also thinks Deborah Sullivan deserves the
medal awarded since 1919 to the mothers and widows of members of
Canada's armed forces who have died on active duty.
It's the medal generations of Canadians who have not seen war have seen
on the stoic Silver Cross mothers who lay wreaths during Remembrance Day
ceremonies.
But Sullivan isn't eligible.
Her son Lieut. Christopher Saunders, a combat engineer, died on a
mission that seemed routine - the maiden voyage from Scotland to Halifax
of a diesel-electric submarine, one of four Canada had bought from the
United Kingdom.
But Saunders was not in a "special duty area," so his widow and his
mother did not qualify to receive medals honouring his sacrifice.
Sullivan asked Zed for help and on Tuesday, Zed introduced a motion in
the House of Commons to award the medals to all mothers and widows of
soldiers who died on active duty regardless of location since Sept. 3,
1945, the formal end of the Second World War.
"Deborah Sullivan will always be Chris's mom, and she deserves to have
this medal in honour of his brave service to Canada," Zed said in the
House of Commons.
He has written all MPs seeking their support.
"We don't know if we can solve this, but this begins the journey to
solve it," said Zed, who had presented Sullivan in 2004 with the flag
that flew at half-staff from the Peace Tower in honour of her son's
sacrifice.
Sullivan recalled how senior representatives of the military and the
government of Canada all praised her son for his devotion to duty in
public ceremonies and in private letters of condolence after his death.
"It was made to be a very big deal for our country but now they're
telling me he doesn't qualify for the medal," she said.
She does not understand why the rules about the medal should exclude her
and other wives and widows.
"He died in the service of his country while on active duty and I
believe that by choosing certain people who qualify and others who
aren't is discriminatory toward a lot of families," she said.
Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said the government is always
willing to look at any proposal recognizing the sacrifices of members of
the Armed Forces and their families.
"That's what we had in mind when we brought in the changes we did in
2006 to the Memorial Cross," said Thompson.
The changes in 2006 allowed up to three recipients to be eligible if
they had been previously named by the member of the Armed Forces who
dies, no matter where the death occurred.
Thompson said he wondered why Zed would pick the end of the Second World
War rather than 1919, which is when the medal was struck. He said that's
one among many aspects of Zed's motion that would have to be debated in
the Commons.
Saunders, 32, of Quispamsis, left a wife and two young sons.
Sullivan, who has several relatives who served in the military, said she
assumed after her son's death that she'd eventually be contacted by the
government and awarded the medal.
After a long time with no word from the government Saunders' widow Gwen
began making inquiries, only to learn they weren't eligible.
Sullivan wasn't the only person to expect she'd receive the medal after
her son's high-profile sacrifice.
She recalls being asked to be Silver Cross mother at a Remembrance Day
ceremony in Saint John, but "I was quite embarrassed and upset to have
to inform this lady that I was not a Silver Cross mother."