Zach LarkinsOUR VETERANS
Master Cpl. Collin Fitzgerald is today's subject for our outrage. Who is he and why is he important? Stay tuned and you will find out.
Let me start off by saying that I never served in Viet Nam, being a few years too young to enlist. There were many Canadians who did serve, and my hat goes off to them. They probably experienced the same, if not worse, treatment that Fitzgerald did when they came home. And that treatment is nothing less than disgusting. Don Lee is a faithful reader and a ‘Nam vet to boot. He doesn't say much about the trials and tribulations tours he personally went through during his tours, but he has written a few good articles about what it was like over there. I just hope he wasn't treated the way Fitzgerald was upon his return.
Master Cpl. Collin Fitzgerald was recognized for heroic actions in Afghanistan and was one of the first recipients of the Canadian Medal of Military Valour,. presented for braving enemy fire, by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on Feb. 19, 2007. He had spent a mere eight months serving in Afghanistan. Fitzgerald was a weapons instructor at Canadian Forces Base Trenton before being sent overseas and while there, was subsequently recognized "for outstanding selfless and valiant actions" carried out on May 24, during an ongoing enemy ambush "involving intense, accurate enemy fire." He "repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by entering and re-entering a burning platoon vehicle and successfully driving it off the roadway, permitting the remaining vehicles trapped in the enemy zone to break free."According to the military, his "courageous and completely selfless actions were instrumental to his platoon's successful egress and undoubtedly contributed to saving the lives of his fellow platoon members."
So how do we thank him? He says he is angry after being jumped from behind and taunted by four men who beat him up in a Morrisburg, Ontario bar this weekend. He had his foot broken in three places and needed 10 stitches to close a cut above his right eye. The 27-year-old soldier also suffered a broken nose and two black eyes in the attack. He said he's only been in the bar about 20 minutes when he was struck from behind."I don't even remember getting hit. I went and sat down at one of the tables, and next thing I knew I woke up with a hole in my head and I couldn't walk on my foot," he said, adding witnesses told him one of the men said 'what kind of fucking hero are you now' as they were being pulled off him." Welcome home, soldier.
Ontario Provincial Police Const. Paul Murphy said a 21-year-old Morrisburg man has been charged with aggravated assault and more charges are expected to be laid against the man. Police also expect to lay charges against several other suspects, he said.
Fitzgerald said "not in a million years" did he expect to be shown such disrespect."Ignorance is bliss. They obviously have no idea or any clue what the hell is going on over there," he said."We weren't just sitting in a camp. We're getting shot at. People are dying. Buddies of mine I've seen get blown up. They really don't have any clue and they don't know how lucky they have it here in Canada." They certainly don't. Let the cut and run crowd do a bit of time in the war zones and see if talking to the enemy will do any good.
Fitzgerald's mother, Arlene, said the attack has left her shaken and upset."He came home in one piece from Afghanistan, and he gets beaten up like this in his own home town," she said. "He just came back from hell."
Sources: Andrew Seymour War Hero Beaten CanWest News
Let me start off by saying that I never served in Viet Nam, being a few years too young to enlist. There were many Canadians who did serve, and my hat goes off to them. They probably experienced the same, if not worse, treatment that Fitzgerald did when they came home. And that treatment is nothing less than disgusting. Don Lee is a faithful reader and a ‘Nam vet to boot. He doesn't say much about the trials and tribulations tours he personally went through during his tours, but he has written a few good articles about what it was like over there. I just hope he wasn't treated the way Fitzgerald was upon his return.
Master Cpl. Collin Fitzgerald was recognized for heroic actions in Afghanistan and was one of the first recipients of the Canadian Medal of Military Valour,. presented for braving enemy fire, by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on Feb. 19, 2007. He had spent a mere eight months serving in Afghanistan. Fitzgerald was a weapons instructor at Canadian Forces Base Trenton before being sent overseas and while there, was subsequently recognized "for outstanding selfless and valiant actions" carried out on May 24, during an ongoing enemy ambush "involving intense, accurate enemy fire." He "repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by entering and re-entering a burning platoon vehicle and successfully driving it off the roadway, permitting the remaining vehicles trapped in the enemy zone to break free."According to the military, his "courageous and completely selfless actions were instrumental to his platoon's successful egress and undoubtedly contributed to saving the lives of his fellow platoon members."
So how do we thank him? He says he is angry after being jumped from behind and taunted by four men who beat him up in a Morrisburg, Ontario bar this weekend. He had his foot broken in three places and needed 10 stitches to close a cut above his right eye. The 27-year-old soldier also suffered a broken nose and two black eyes in the attack. He said he's only been in the bar about 20 minutes when he was struck from behind."I don't even remember getting hit. I went and sat down at one of the tables, and next thing I knew I woke up with a hole in my head and I couldn't walk on my foot," he said, adding witnesses told him one of the men said 'what kind of fucking hero are you now' as they were being pulled off him." Welcome home, soldier.
Ontario Provincial Police Const. Paul Murphy said a 21-year-old Morrisburg man has been charged with aggravated assault and more charges are expected to be laid against the man. Police also expect to lay charges against several other suspects, he said.
Fitzgerald said "not in a million years" did he expect to be shown such disrespect."Ignorance is bliss. They obviously have no idea or any clue what the hell is going on over there," he said."We weren't just sitting in a camp. We're getting shot at. People are dying. Buddies of mine I've seen get blown up. They really don't have any clue and they don't know how lucky they have it here in Canada." They certainly don't. Let the cut and run crowd do a bit of time in the war zones and see if talking to the enemy will do any good.
Fitzgerald's mother, Arlene, said the attack has left her shaken and upset."He came home in one piece from Afghanistan, and he gets beaten up like this in his own home town," she said. "He just came back from hell."
Sources: Andrew Seymour War Hero Beaten CanWest News
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Tales From The Green Lantern
Not anti gay, but, why not call it a hate crime? The peolpe in the military are a minority and are constantly put down by the liberal faction that sees them as killers of innocents regardless of what is thrown at them by the enemy. If it was a gay person instead of a soldier, it sure as heck would be a hate crime.