Soldiers who wore medals he didn't earn loses one he did earn | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Sunny  10.8°C

Soldiers who wore medals he didn't earn loses one he did earn

OTTAWA - The Governor General's office says a retired soldier who was court-martialled for wearing Afghanistan and Somalia medals and parachute wings he wasn't entitled to at a Remembrance Day ceremony has lost his membership in the Order of Military Merit.

Richard Fancy was a member of the regular forces between 1984 and 2010, when he joined the reserves with the Halifax Rifles.

He became a master warrant officer in the regiment and received the Order of Military Merit in October 2014, a month before the Remembrance Day incident in Halifax.

In May 2016, Fancy pleaded guilty at a court martial to three counts of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline and was reduced in rank to warrant officer and fined $300.

The decorations he wore improperly credited him with service in Somalia and Afghanistan and with being a paratrooper.

Membership in the Order of Military Merit recognizes exceptional service or performance of duty, but can be stripped from a recipient by an order of the Governor General.

At the court martial, military judge Col. Mario Dutil wrote that the circumstances of the case demonstrated "a lack of integrity and respect for the profound meaning of medals and decorations for the Canadian Armed Forces and for those who have gained the right to wear them."

He said the fact that Fancy held a senior leadership position at the time was an aggravating factor.

However, the judge added that Fancy admitted guilt and had an otherwise clean record.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2017
The Canadian Press

  • Popular kelowna News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile