Hero beaten
Andrew Seymour, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Monday, March 12, 2007
A Canadian soldier awarded a Medal of Military Valour for braving enemy fire in Afghanistan is angry after he says was jumped from behind and taunted by four men who beat him up in a Morrisburg bar on the weekend.
Master Cpl. Collin Fitzgerald, who was awarded a Medal of Valour for heroic actions in Afghanistan by Governor-General Michalle Jean on Feb. 19, had his foot broken in three places and needed 10 stitches to close a cut above his right eye. The 27-year-old soldier also suffered a broken nose and two black eyes in the attack, which occurred after midnight Saturday morning.
Master Cpl. Fitzgerald said Monday he had only been in the bar about 20 minutes when he was struck from behind.
"I don't even remember getting hit," he said.
"I went and sat down at one of the tables, and next thing I knew I woke up and a hole in my head and I couldn't walk on my foot," said Master Cpl. Fitzgerald, adding that witnesses told him one of the men said, 'What kind of f--king hero are you now?' as they were being pulled off of him.
"I was just covered in blood. I didn't know what happened to me," he said.
Prior to the assault, Master Cpl. Fitzgerald said he had been at the bar visiting with his fiance's brother Shawn Hitsman and some other childhood friends when he moved to the table.
After coming to, Master Cpl. Fitzgerald said Mr. Hitsman and another friend, Bobby Paradis, helped him up and drove him to the hospital.
OPP Const. Paul Murphy said a 21-year-old Morrisburg man has been charged with aggravated assault. The man has since been released from custody on a promise to appear in court. Since he has yet to appear in court, his name was not released, police said.
Const. Murphy said more charges are expected to be laid against the 21-year-old. Police also expect to lay charges against several other suspects, he said.
After serving eight months in Afghanistan, Master Cpl. Fitzgerald said, "not in a million years" did he expect to be jumped in a Morrisburg bar. He also never expected to be shown such disrespect.
"Ignorance is bliss. They obviously have no idea or any clue what the hell is going on over there," he said. "We weren't just sitting in a camp. We're getting shot at. People are dying. Buddies of mine I've seen get blown up. They really don't have any clue, and they don't know how lucky they have it here in Canada."
Master Cpl. Fitzgerald's mother, Arlene Fitzgerald, said the attack has left her shaken and upset.
"He came home in one piece from Afghanistan, and he gets beaten up like this in his own home town," she said. "He just came back from hell."
Master Cpl. Fitzgerald, who is a weapons instructor at CFB Trenton, was one of the first recipients of the Canadian Medal of Military Valour.
According to the Canadian Forces, Master Cpl. Fitzgerald was recognized "for outstanding selfless and valiant actions" carried out on May 24, 2006, during an ongoing enemy ambush "involving intense, accurate enemy fire."
Master Cpl. Fitzgerald "repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by entering and re-entering a burning platoon vehicle and successfully driving it off the roadway, permitting the remaining vehicles trapped in the enemy zone to break free."
According to the military, Master Cpl. Fitzgerald's "courageous and completely selfless actions were instrumental to his platoon's successful egress and undoubtedly contributed to saving the lives of his fellow platoon members."
© The Ottawa Citizen 2007
. And of course, soldiers there would give
