Memorial Cross

The Department of National Defence has announced that significant changes have been made to the criteria surrounding the awarding of this symbol of sacrifice. For those who don't know about the Memorial Cross:

The Memorial Cross is a symbol of sacrifice and loss created in the aftermath of the First World War. Since 1919, the Memorial Cross has been worn by mothers and widows who have lost sons and husbands in service. Though the Cross has been physically adapted since the First World War, its general purpose has remained unchanged since 1919.

Obviously, the phrase "mothers and widows" doesn't cover everyone in the CF, as recent events have illustrated. And so changes have been made:

The criteria for granting the Memorial Cross are being updated to ensure we properly recognize those who grieve the loss of a Canadian Forces (CF) member in the future. From January 1, 2007 onward, all deaths that are related to military service will carry entitlement to the Memorial Cross. Further, CF personnel will now select up to three potential recipients as part of the regular administrative process. The potential recipients can be any living individual(s) who would be personally affected by the loss of the CF member.

Two big alterations in that paragraph: eligibility is extended to any service-related death, including training accidents, where it was previously limited to foreign military operations; and eligibility is extended to "any living individual(s) who would be personally affected by the loss of the CF member" - anyone. Father, child, common-law spouse, same-sex spouse, husband, step-mother, grandmother, best friend, whoever - as long as they're officially nominated by the member who died.

A couple of years ago, the widow of Lt (N) Chris Saunders - who died fighting a fire on HMCS Chicoutimi - wasn't eligible for the Cross because her husband didn't die in a foreign military operation. Under these regulations, as long as she had been nominated by her husband, she would have been given one.

In the past, presenting the Memorial Cross to men required special dispensation. The last time this was received was for Mr. Jason Beam, husband to Capt Nichola Goddard, who was killed in Afghanistan. But it has happened before:

Royal Canadian Legion officials told CBC News Friday that only two men have ever received the medal, both fathers of dead soldiers.

The cross went to Jean Berger, the father of Pte. Joseph Berger, who was killed in Cyprus in 1974, and J.W. Ternopolski, the father of Master Cpl. John Ternopolski, who was killed in Bosnia in 1993. Ternopolski's mother also received the medal.

While it's unclear in the CF press release, I've been advised that if a deceased CF member nominated three individuals for the Cross in the event of a service-related death, all three would receive the Cross - nobody is trying to choose one from a member's list. For most, that would probably mean mother, father, and spouse, which is a leap forward from the current situation.

In the grand scheme of things, this isn't a big deal - it's not a strategic initiative, it's not a capital purchase, it's not a transformational change. But it's the right thing to do, and for that, I applaud the government and DND.