Episode 4: Cpl. Bruce Moncur

Bruce Moncur, a native of Windsor, Ontario joined the Canadian Army Reserves before 9/11. He enlisted with the Essex and Kent Scottish, an infantry regiment. It was a good job at a time and in a part of Canada where reasonably well paying employment for young people was hard to come by.

Come August, 2006 Cpl. Moncur, now 22 years of age, was deployed to Afghanistan and within a few weeks would find himself in the Canadian-led offensive, Operation Medusa, west of Kandahar city. Unfortunately a friendly-fire incident with American close air support seriously injured Cpl. Moncur, bringing his war to an end.

After recovering from his injuries, which included serious brain damage, Cpl. Moncur began carving out a roll for himself as an advocate for veteran's issues.

His most recent initiative, Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, is a not for profit organization pressing for the award of a Victoria Cross to a deserving Afghanistan war veteran, and obtaining a critical reexamination of Canadian heroes from earlier conflicts who may have been overlooked for this prestigious honour.

The Victoria Cross is the highest award within the Canadian honours system. It is bestowed for “the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or preeminent act of valour or self sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.”

Since the award was patriated from the British honours system in 1993 it has never been conferred.

You can learn more about Valour in the Presence of the Enemy by finding it on Facebook, or on Twitter @CanadianCross or on Instagram @100thvictoriacross

Under Reserve thanks Cpl. Moncur for his time, and his service.