Medal of Military Valour

Medal of Military Valour
Reverse of the Medal of Military Valour
Awarded by the Queen of Canada
Type	Medal
Awarded for	An act of valour or devotion in the presence of the enemy.
Status	Currently awarded
Post-nominals	MMV
Statistics
Established	2 February 1993
First awarded	27 October 2006
Total awarded	55
Precedence
Next (higher)	Meritorious Service Cross
Next (lower)	Medal of Bravery
Ribbon of the Medal of Military Valour

The Medal of Military Valour (French: Médaille de la vaillance militaire) is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the third highest award for military valour,^[1] and one of three honours for military valour gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council. Created in 1993, the medal is presented to both living and deceased members of the Canadian Forces deemed to have carried out "an act of valour or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy,"^[2] and grants recipients the ability to use the post-nominal letters MMV.

History

On 2 February 1993,^[1] three decorations, including the Medal of Military Valour, were created by Queen Elizabeth II as a family of Canadian military valour decorations.^[3] The first awarding of the star was by Governor General Michaëlle Jean, 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 Medal of Military Valour.^[4]

Design

The Medal of Military Valour is in the form of a gold medal with, on the obverse, the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch beneath a St. Edward's Crown — symbolizing the Canadian monarch's roles as both fount of honour and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces^[5][6] — and the inscription PRO VALORE. The reverse bears a maple leaf surrounded by a laurel wreath, and the name and rank of the recipientis engraved on the medal's edge.^[1]

This medallion is worn on the left chest, on a 38 millimetres (1.5 in) wide crimson ribbon with three vertical white stripes: for men, hung from a bar, and for women, on a ribbon bow, both pinned to the left chest.^[1] Should an individual already possessing a Medal of Military Valour be awarded the medal again for subsequent valourous acts, he or she is granted a simple gold medal bar, bearing a maple leaf at its centre, for wear on the ribbon from which the original medal is suspended;^[1]

Eligibility and presentation

The medal is awarded only to members of the Canadian Forces, or members of allied armed forces serving alongside the Canadian Forces,^[3] who have shown conspicuous acts of valiance in the face of enemy hostility.^[2] Should a person meet these criteria, nominations are made through his or her chain of command to the Military Valour Decorations Advisory Committee^[3] — a part of the Chancellery of Honours at Government House — which then makes its recommendations to the Governor General of Canada, via the Chief of the Defence Staff.^[3] Once they have been decorated with the Medal of Military Valour, recipients are granted the right to use the post-nominal letters MMV. The Medal of Military Valour can be awarded posthumously, as well as multiple times;^[1] as of August 2009, the decoration has been awarded 38 times, though no bars have yet been issued.^[7]

See also

• Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)
• State decoration

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Veterans Affairs Canada. "Canada Remembers > Records & Collections > Canadian Orders, Medals and Decorations > Canadian Military Medals and Decorations > Modern Honours of Canada > Medal of Military Valour". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group02/Mmv. Retrieved 28 August 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Honours > Decorations > Military Valour Decorations". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://archive.gg.ca/honours/decorations/mv/index_e.asp. Retrieved 26 August 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "Governor General to present 48 Military Decorations at Rideau Hall" (Press release). Queen's Printer for Canada. 9 February 2009. http://archive.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5633. Retrieved 29 August 2009. 
4. ^ "Governor General announces the first-ever awarding of Military Valour Decorations" (Press release). Queen's Printer for Canada. 27 October 2006. http://archive.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=4905. Retrieved 29 August 2009. 
5. ^ Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Honours and Recognition Programs > Canadian National Honours". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hon/nat-honour-honneur/index-eng.htm. Retrieved 20 May 2009. 
6. ^ Department of National Defence. "DH&R Home > Canadian Honours Chart > Sacrifice Medal (SM)". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chc-tdh/chart-tableau-eng.asp?ref=SM. Retrieved 2 September 2009. 
7. ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Honours > Decorations > Military Valour Decorations > Search: Military Valour Decorations Recipients List > Level of Award: Medal of Military Valour". Queen's Printer for Canada. http://archive.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/index_e.asp?results=1&Firstname=&Middlename=&Lastname=&City=&Province=&TypeID=mvd&Honours=Medal&AwardStart=&AwardEnd=&npp=25. Retrieved 29 August 2009. 

External links

• Robertson, Megan C.. "C > Canada > Orders, Decorations and Medals of Canada > Medal of Military Valour". http://www.medals.org.uk/canada/canada011.htm.