Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario, September 2006. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.
February 2007
Author’s note: This article is in response to the article “Give our vets the last word in VC debate”, written by Lorrie Goldstein, which appeared in the Toronto Sun on 7 March 2007.
While I do agree with what Lorrie writes, I do think that the first Canadian V.C. should be given to the unknown soldier.
Just like the idea of having a “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” is a symbolic gesture to that represents the war grave of unidentified soldiers, the “awarding” of the V.C. in this manner is an equally “symbolic” gesture. I’m sure there were many, many acts of heroism deserving of awards such as the Victoria Cross, the George Cross or the Military Medal, that for a variety of reasons, were never reported to command authorities. Many men and women fought behind the lines as secret operatives. some came home and some didn’t. Due to national security, some of their stories remain untold to this day (read about the history of Canada’s secret spy school Camp X for more). How many of those people deserved the V.C.? I think it is fitting that the unknown soldier should also symbolize the unknown heroes of the Canadian Forces.
