The Star of Military Valour (french: Étoile de la vaillance militaire) is a
decoration that is, within the
Canadian system of honours, the second highest award for military valour,
and one of three honours for military valour awarded by the
Canadian monarch
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional Canadian federalism, federal structure and Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentar ...
, generally through his or her
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
-
in-Council. Created in 1993, the medal is presented to both living and deceased members of the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...
deemed to have demonstrated "distinguished and valiant service in the presence of the enemy,"
and grants recipients the ability to use the
post-nominal letters ''SMV''.
History
On 2 February 1993,
three decorations, including the Star of Military Valour, were created by Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
as a family of Canadian military valour decorations.
The first awarding of the star was by Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...
, on 27 October 2006; only with
Canada's participation in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan did there emerge, for the first time since 1993, circumstances wherein one could carry out actions deserving of the Star of Military Valour.
Design
The Star of Military Valour is in the form of a
silver-gilt compass star Celeste with a maple leaf in each angle. On the obverse is a roundel at the centre of the star, bearing a gold maple leaf on a red
enamel background and surrounded by a silver
laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel (''Prunus laurocerasus''). It is a s ...
. The reverse bears on the upper arm the
royal cypher of the reigning monarch beneath
St. Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at Coronation of the British monarch, the ...
—symbolizing the
Canadian monarch
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional Canadian federalism, federal structure and Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentar ...
's roles as both
fount of honour and
Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces
The commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: Commandant en chef des Forces armées canadiennes) exercises supreme command and control over Canada's military, the Canadian Armed Forces. Constitutionally, the command-in-chief is ves ...
—and the inscription . Below this is engraved the name and rank of the recipient.
This medallion is worn on the left chest, on a crimson ribbon with two vertical white stripes: for men, hung from a bar, and for women, on a ribbon bow, both pinned to the left chest.
Should an individual already possessing a Star of Military Valour be awarded the medal again for subsequent valorous acts, he or she is granted a simple gold
medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It most commonly indicates the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on th ...
, bearing a maple leaf at its centre, for wear on the ribbon from which the original medal is suspended.
Eligibility and receipt
The star is awarded only to members of the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...
, or members of allied armed forces serving alongside the Canadian Forces,
who have shown conspicuous acts of valour in the face of enemy hostility.
Should a person meet these criteria, nominations are made through his or her
chain of command
A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part.
Milit ...
to the Military Valour Decorations Advisory Committee
—a part of the Chancellery of Honours at
Government House
Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries.
Gover ...
—which then makes its recommendations to the
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...
, via the
Chief of the Defence Staff.
Once they have been decorated with the Star of Military Valour, recipients are granted the right to use the
post-nominal letters ''SMV''. The Star of Military Valour can be awarded posthumously, as well as multiple times.
Recipients
![William H](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/William_H._Fletcher.jpg)
In chronological order, the recipients have been:
* Sergeant
Patrick Tower , awarded 25 October 2006
* Major William Hilton Fletcher , awarded 18 December 2006
* Private Jess Randall Larochelle , awarded 14 March 2007
* Corporal Sean Teal , awarded 14 March 2007
* Major David Quick , awarded 8 January 2008
* Sergeant William Kenneth MacDonald , awarded 4 April 2008
* Master-Corporal J. Donovan Ball , awarded 26 June 2008
* Captain Jonathan Snyder , awarded posthumously 26 June 2008
* Warrant Officer David Shultz , awarded 13 November 2009
* Master Corporal Jeremy Pinchin , awarded 4 June 2010
* 3 unnamed members of the
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM; french: links=no, Commandement des Forces d'opérations spéciales du Canada; COMFOSCAN) is a command of the Canadian Armed Forces. It is responsible for all special forces operations that ar ...
, awarded 11 March 2011
* Captain Gabriel Chasse-Jean , awarded 11 June 2011
* Master Warrant Officer Richard Stacey , awarded 11 June 2011
* Corporal Jean-François Belzil , awarded 18 September 2012
* Private Taumy St-Hilaire , awarded 15 November 2012
* Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas Arthur Ratzlaff
In 2014, La Promenade building in the parliamentary precinct in Ottawa was renamed the Valour Building to honour the recipients of the Star of Military Valour.
See also
*
Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)
The following is the Canadian order of precedence for decorations and medals. Where applicable, post-nominal letters are indicated.
Awards of valour
National orders
Provincial orders
Territorial orders
National decorations
National dec ...
*
State decoration
A state decoration is an object, such as a medal or the insignia of an order, that is awarded by a sovereign state to honor the recipient. The term includes:
*Civil awards and decorations
*Military awards and decorations
See also
* State order
...
References
External links
*
*
{{Canadian Honours System
Military awards and decorations of Canada
Courage awards