Haggis
Army.ca Veteran
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The story of Cpl Eric Monnin, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, shared with the usual disclaimer. This is a small town newspaper, not what you would call MSM.
CORNWALL – For the first time since the Second World War, a serving Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlander is being awarded a decoration for military valour.
It was July 9, 2010, and the 1 RCR Charles Company 7 Platoon had the task of checking for a possible firing spot in Afghanistan.
They got their answer once they arrived.
“I was in the armoured vehicle called a LAV 3,” said Cpl. Eric Monnin.
Monnin was going to with his Warrant Officer (WO) to check the area when he was told stay behind.
“I was about to go with them and the Officer told me not to go because it’s only going to take a few minutes,” he said.
As the WO began checking the perimeter, the platoon was ambushed.
The WO was hit in the shoulder by an RPG with an entry wound of about three to four inches and an exit wound the size of a fist.
“When this happend I immediately thought he was dead,” Monnin said.
“But when I saw him slowly trying to crawl away, I jumped out of the LAV and ran to him. Once I got there, I saw he got hit in the shoulder so I started working on him.”
Trained in medic’s assitance, Monnin began helping the WO when enemy fire started to rain around him.
As he turned to fire back, some other soldiers dragged the WO to a safer spot between two buildings where Monnin would later find that the medic on hand was also wounded with non lifethreatening injuries.
“We just kept working. It took about two hours before the Quick Reaction Force came to help the people on the ground,” he said.
“It was so intense, everything happened so fast (but at that point) you’re just trying to get him back alive, trying to keep him calm.”
Both the medic and the WO survived the attack and the WO even joins Monnin for a drink from time to time.
“The guys, they’re your friends. You’ve been working with a guy for a year, it’s pretty much like if you saw your best friend get hit by a car, you just go and help.”
It was this act of heroism that led to Monnin being awarded the Medal of Military Valour for “courageous and selfless actions under enemy fire while rendering first aid to two wounded soldiers in Afghanistan.”
But a humble Monnin doesn’t believe that an award that holds such a big title should be awarded to him.
“I guess I was really surprised. I knew they put me in for a medal of some sort, but I didnt know Ii was going to get it,” he said.
“I was proud in a sense, but in the end I am just happy that the Warrent Officer and medic were good.”
The award will be pesented at ceremony this Friday at Rideau Hall in Otawa at 10:30 a.m. The medal will be presented to Monnin by Governor General David Johnston.
“I’m just a normal guy in the end," Monnin said.
"The thing is, I’m just one guy that got recognized for what I did, but there are a lot of Glens out there who just haven’t been (recognized).
"The Glens took me in pretty much like family and they’ve always been there. They’re very much part of my family.”
Cpl Monnin has since component transferred to the Reg F as a ACISS Tech.
Up the Glens!
CORNWALL – For the first time since the Second World War, a serving Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlander is being awarded a decoration for military valour.
It was July 9, 2010, and the 1 RCR Charles Company 7 Platoon had the task of checking for a possible firing spot in Afghanistan.
They got their answer once they arrived.
“I was in the armoured vehicle called a LAV 3,” said Cpl. Eric Monnin.
Monnin was going to with his Warrant Officer (WO) to check the area when he was told stay behind.
“I was about to go with them and the Officer told me not to go because it’s only going to take a few minutes,” he said.
As the WO began checking the perimeter, the platoon was ambushed.
The WO was hit in the shoulder by an RPG with an entry wound of about three to four inches and an exit wound the size of a fist.
“When this happend I immediately thought he was dead,” Monnin said.
“But when I saw him slowly trying to crawl away, I jumped out of the LAV and ran to him. Once I got there, I saw he got hit in the shoulder so I started working on him.”
Trained in medic’s assitance, Monnin began helping the WO when enemy fire started to rain around him.
As he turned to fire back, some other soldiers dragged the WO to a safer spot between two buildings where Monnin would later find that the medic on hand was also wounded with non lifethreatening injuries.
“We just kept working. It took about two hours before the Quick Reaction Force came to help the people on the ground,” he said.
“It was so intense, everything happened so fast (but at that point) you’re just trying to get him back alive, trying to keep him calm.”
Both the medic and the WO survived the attack and the WO even joins Monnin for a drink from time to time.
“The guys, they’re your friends. You’ve been working with a guy for a year, it’s pretty much like if you saw your best friend get hit by a car, you just go and help.”
It was this act of heroism that led to Monnin being awarded the Medal of Military Valour for “courageous and selfless actions under enemy fire while rendering first aid to two wounded soldiers in Afghanistan.”
But a humble Monnin doesn’t believe that an award that holds such a big title should be awarded to him.
“I guess I was really surprised. I knew they put me in for a medal of some sort, but I didnt know Ii was going to get it,” he said.
“I was proud in a sense, but in the end I am just happy that the Warrent Officer and medic were good.”
The award will be pesented at ceremony this Friday at Rideau Hall in Otawa at 10:30 a.m. The medal will be presented to Monnin by Governor General David Johnston.
“I’m just a normal guy in the end," Monnin said.
"The thing is, I’m just one guy that got recognized for what I did, but there are a lot of Glens out there who just haven’t been (recognized).
"The Glens took me in pretty much like family and they’ve always been there. They’re very much part of my family.”
Cpl Monnin has since component transferred to the Reg F as a ACISS Tech.
Up the Glens!
