Congressional Gold Medal

There is one memorable occasion that just happened last February that we were called to Washington, D.C. and there must have been sixty or seventy of us. There was fourteen Canadians and we were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal which is the highest medal or the highest honour that the American Congress can bestow on anybody. We have guys like George Washington was the first one that won it. The first man on the moon got it. Nelson Mandela got it and we are in choice area. But it’s about three inches in diameter, and a quarter inch thick, mind you it’s not gold. There’s only one gold medal stamped. It is really phenomenal that the American Congress saw fit to vote a blanket award for the First Special Service Force. There are about forty Canadians still alive and that in itself is something. I have to say that the Congressional Gold Medal wasn’t presented to people, it was presented to a force as a unit and we know it but we want the people to realize that it was the force, not individuals.