Children recognized for their sacrifice with medals
Navy News / February 14, 2022
By Peter Mallett
When Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Winnipeg returned home mid-December from its four-month Indo-Pacific deployment, a special surprise was waiting for the sailors’ children.
During the ship’s homecoming, 120 shiny blue and bronze medals were distributed to the kids to pay tribute to the sacrifice they make when a parent is deployed.
Reaction from parents and children included lots of smiles and laughter, said Chief Petty Officer 1st Class (CPO1) Line Laurendeau, HMCS Winnipeg’s Coxswain.
“Receiving these medals was really a special moment for our all of our crew and really helped members reconnect with their children during their return home.”
Earl Phillips, an Alberta grandfather of eight grandchildren, three of whom have parents serving in the Royal Canadian Navy, is the man behind the initiative.
Mr. Phillips calls the initiative Medals for Children, and got the idea after a family deployment update call with HMCS Calgary last spring. Someone asked about medals for children, an idea he liked.
“Children of deployed sailors are also making a commitment and sacrifice for the security of our nation by being separated from their parents, and they deserve a medal,” Mr. Phillips said. “For a four- or five-year-old boy or girl, I think this is powerful because it recognizes that they also paid a price during the deployment.”
So, when Winnipeg returned from its deployment on December 16, 2021, a box of medals was waiting on the ship’s main deck to be distributed.
“Our crew really enjoyed this and I would recommend continuing this initiative,” CPO1 Laurendeau said.
The medals acknowledge the patience, heroism and bravery of HMCS Winnipeg crew members’ children during the ship’s four-month deployment.
Mr. Phillips designed and ordered the medals from an online distributor in British Columbia at a cost of approximately $12 each. He used money from his own pocket and two corporate donors in his home town to pay the bill.
Both sides of the medal are coloured in blue and bronze. The front of the medal features a child’s hand reaching toward the hand of an adult; the reverse features the name of the ship – HMCS Winnipeg – and the dates of its deployment. It also includes a red and white ribbon.
He then worked with the Military Family Resource Centre in Esquimalt, B.C., to hand out the medals at Winnipeg’s homecoming.
Mr. Phillips watched live video streaming of Winnipeg’s homecoming ceremony and was delighted to see sailors pinning the medal on their children’s jackets and sweaters on the deck of the ship.
“It has been overwhelming seeing the comments from parents of recipients and to see so many people joining our Facebook page and the kind of community support we are seeing for this initiative,” he said. “After the Winnipeg deployment, many parents were commenting how much their children appreciated the medals and treasure them.”
He is hoping to keep the initiative going for future deployments of other ships.
Operation Neon is Canada’s contribution to a coordinated multinational effort to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed against North Korea. In Op Projection, Canadian Armed Forces members are deployed in maritime environments around the world to improve peace and stability.