Support is growing to have Jess Larochelle of Restoule receive Canada's Victoria Cross for his actions in a fierce firefight against the Taliban in Afghanistan nearly 16 years ago.
Larochelle was severely injured in the battle, but still managed to save the lives of many members of his platoon.
See: Campaign seeking award of highest military honour to local veteran receives Council support
And: Callander council backs campaign to honour local veteran
Powassan council is the latest municipality to support the drive to see Larochelle's Star for Military Valour upgraded to the Victoria Cross, the highest award in the Canadian honours system and which supersedes all other awards.
Larochelle, who was medically discharged from the military, was a member of The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group and oversaw an observation post in Pashmul, Afghanistan, Oct. 14, 2006.
A Taliban rocket destroyed the post, severely injuring Larochelle and exposing him to sustained enemy fire.
The initial attack killed two members of his platoon and injured three others.
Larochelle provided covering fire over an undefended flank of his platoon's position and his continuous attack allowed his comrades to defend and successfully fend off a sustained attack of more than 20 enemy combatants.
Larochelle was awarded the Star for Military Valour, Canada’s second-highest award for valour.
While Larochelle was fending off the enemy, he was doing so with a broken back, one of his retinas was detached, he'd gone deaf in one ear and he incurred shoulder problems as a result of constantly firing M72 rockets.
Larochelle continued to man the observation post for a further 12 hours following the battle.
He volunteered to go to the observation post, knowing full well an attack was imminent because the platoon was short-handed.
Knowing all this, Larochelle still went to the observation post and carried two C6 machine guns.
It takes two people to operate a C6.
Gen. Omar Lavoie, a witness to the battle, is one of four brigade commanders and Afghanistan tour commanders who supports upgrading Larochelle's medal to the Victoria Cross.
In a statement, Lavoie said he has always believed Larochelle's actions were worthy of the Victoria Cross.
The non-profit organization Valour in the Presence of the Enemy has been making the case for Larochelle to receive the Victoria Cross.
The group, which has the former chief of defence staff and now retired Gen. Rick Hillier among its membership, has identified 26 soldiers whose acts of bravery have been under-recognized and the group has made Larochelle its first case for review.
The Valour in the Presence of the Enemy membership spent a year collecting many of the unreported elements in Larochelle's firefight with the Taliban and sent all this information to the governor-general Feb. 5.
Valour in the Presence of the Enemy said Larochelle “conducted himself with such distinction” and that the new information should trigger a review of his citation for the Star for Military Valour and he should be awarded the Victoria Cross.
At the local level, retired Capt. Michael Harrison has lobbied municipal councils to see Larochelle awarded the Victoria Cross.
Harrison, president of New Ontario Brewing in North Bay, says about a dozen municipal councils have endorsed a resolution calling for Larochelle to receive the Victoria Cross.
Among those communities supporting the resolution are North Bay, Callander and Timmins.
Harrison, who served 10 years in the navy and air force and was in Afghanistan in 2013 on Canada's last mission there, says most military associations, OPP veterans associations and veterans in general, support the upgrading.
Prior to 1993 Canada continued to use the British version of the Victoria Cross.
Up to that point, 99 Canadians had been awarded the Victoria Cross. The last Canadian recipient received the award in the final days of the Second World War.
In 1993 Canada stopped using the British Victoria Cross and created its own version.
But Harrison points out since its inception in 1993, the Canadian Victoria Cross has never been awarded.
Harrison said the Canadian Victoria Cross recognizes the “most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour, self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.
“Jess is a local boy who did the unimaginable,” Harrison said.
“The fact of the matter is Private Larochelle meets and exceeds every qualification for this award.”
Harrison said it's time Canada handed out its first-ever Victoria Cross and advocated that the first recipient be Larochelle.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the North Bay Nugget. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
