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Walts, posers & wannabes (merged)

Taking a closer look, you can see that not all the medals are on a single 'mount'.  There is a definite space between the Sacrifice Medal and the UNIFICYP.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't the correct sequence for the medals be:

SM - GCS SWA - CPSM - UNIFICYP - QEDJ - CD  ?

I would have had mine all mounted properly and paid for by the system...

ModlrMike said:
Certainly not as a reservist. There's some suggestion he never served RegF.

I am not familiar with many Reservists to wear White jump wings.  It may be possible, but I am not sure it is very common (other than those who CTd from the Regs to Res).
 
There are several ways a reservist can acquire white jump wings. Most commonly it is former reg force jumpers that have them, and while it's not a common thing to see it is also not unheard of. They may have spent time in the QoR jump coy. Does a tour with the Skyhawks qualify one to wear them? Or, as with This guy, there is always eBay. I pinged this guy as FoS the first day I met him. I am amazed how many people still believe his stories.
 
EITS, your line-up is the correct order.  Enlarged, the innermost medal has the right colour for the CPSM and, perhaps a stretch, I can see what looks to be the very bottom of the letters C and E [right shape, anyway] that would correlate to the "SERVICE" portion of the "PEACEKEEPING - SERVICE DE LA PAIX" wording on the obverse of CPSM.

The UNIFCYP/CPSM pairing, while consistent together, does indeed seem oddly not included in MCpl Rodriguez's court mounting of his other decorations.

That said, Canada had combat troops on OP SNOWGOOSE until '93, and with at least 22 years in (from the CD1), MCpl Rodriguez could have served on SNOWGOOSE, especially if one considered how long it takes the CAF to give CDs and/or bars.

It does seem odd, as others have noted, that if the CAF will pay for court mounting, why he wouldn't have them all mounted in the correct order...

:2c:

G2G
 
I suspect the out of order medals are so that he can detach the two extras when it suits him to do so. Sadly this is not the worst example of this I have seen. There was a Sgt at a unit where I used to work who had six unearned decorations on his rack.
 
Never heard of this guy...nor does he look familiar.  Things that make you go hmmm.

MM
 
Hunter said:
Does a tour with the Skyhawks qualify one to wear them?

Yes.  The Skyhawks are a sub-unit of the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre (formerly the Canadian Parachute Centre).
 
medicineman said:
Never heard of this guy...nor does he look familiar.  Things that make you go hmmm.

MM

I've never heard of him either, but, I been out quite a while and he was a reservist - no mention of him ever being a Reg.

However, the 2014 article previously linked with the photo of this man is not the only media attention he has attracted.  From a March 2012 article.

http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2012/03/15/two-classes-of-war-vets
1331837990855_ORIGINAL.jpg

photo caption - Byron Rodriguez of Tilbury displays a medal and commander's commendation he received in Kandahar for delaying medical attention for himself during a mission. Rodriquez was on an improvised explosive device (IED) call when he took a large rock in the face, leaving him with a fractured nose and nerve damage. Photo taken Thursday March 15, 2012 in Tilbury Ontario. VICKI GOUGH/ THE CHATHAM DAILY NEWS/ QMI AGENCY



Two classes of war vets

By Vicki Gough, Chatham Daily News
Thursday, March 15, 2012 7:28:07 EDT PM

A medical laboratory technician by trade, Byron Rodriguez chose to serve his country on combat missions in Afghanistan.

The Tilbury man is a member of Canada's militia. The father of three is Section Commander of 23 Field Ambulance Detachment London.

. . .

During one assignment in 2008, Rodriguez was injured when a large rock was thrown towards his vehicle and hit him in the face. It ripped into his nose and broke it.

"I had half my nose amputated and received 22 stitches to close the cut around one nostril," Rodriguez said.

The remainder of the articles deals mainly with difficulties veterans (including Rodriguez) have getting benefits from VAC.

And from 2009, some more detail of his "nose amputation".

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2009/06/08/medic-recalls-hardships-of-war
Medic recalls hardships of war

By Heather Ibbotson, Brantford Expositor
Monday, June 8, 2009 12:00:00 EDT AM

Brantford resident and Master Cpl. Byron Rodriguez knows first-hand the grim realities of military service in Afghanistan.

He spent more than seven months on a tour of duty as a medic, among the first responders to field casualties. He has inserted chest tubes and performed an emergency tracheotomy.

He's also one of those responsible for preparing the bodies of fallen soldiers -- some of them friends -- for return home to Canadian soil.

"I've put friends in body bags," he said Sunday, his eyes misting at the memories. "It's the hardest thing I ever did in my life."

Rodriguez, 49, was one of a group of local soldiers who attended a welcome home celebration for Afghanistan veterans at the Brant Artillery Gunner's Club.

While on his tour of duty, Rodriguez also had part of his nose shot off by an Afghan child shooting a rock from a slingshot.

He said he refused immediate care himself, telling his commander, "I still have my legs and my arms and my eyes, so the mission must continue."

Five hours later, it took 26 stitches to reattach the hanging chunk of flesh to his nose.

Still, Rodriguez, a reservist with the 23rd Field Ambulance in Hamilton, who also has long ties with the local 56th Field Artillery Regiment, said he wants to go back.

. . .

And in one of the photos from a picture gallery on the CBC site is something from 2015.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/quilts-bring-warmth-to-members-of-the-armed-forces-1.3313976
Quilts bring warmth to members of the armed forces
rodriguez.jpg

captioned - A quilt was presented to Byron Rodriguez on May 30, 2015. He served in every branch of the Canadian Armed Forces from 1984 to 2015 as a medic and later as a crew commander. He recently retired from the armed forces after 31 years of service. He was deployed to places like Bosnia and Cyprus. He also had back to back tours in Afghanistan. He picked this quilt because the maroon colour was his unit's colour. (Submitted by Shannon McGilvery )

But the question remains, is he entitled to any of the honours and insignia that he has, on occasion, worn?  If given the benefit of the doubt, I would say "some".  It is possible that he did serve in Afghanistan, maybe even received the nose wound and served long enough to get the CD and clasp - easy to accomplish.  The Diamond Jubilee Medal - he (or someone with the same name, rank and previous place of residence) is listed in the database of recipients.

https://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=223173&t=13&ln=Rodriguez
The Diamond Jubilee Medal

Rodriguez, Master Corporal Byron, C.D.

TILBURY, Ontario [CANADA]

As for the rest, the jump wings and two medals worn to the right of his (perhaps legitimate) court mounted group of four - he may have jumped the shark in embellishing his service.  In a picture that accompanied a 2013 article about Remembrance Day activities, he is shown wearing DEU.  While the UNIFICYP (?) medal is worn on the right of medal group (looking unconnected to the rest of the group), no wings are worn.

http://www.newsoptimist.ca/news/northwest-region/over-150-attend-remembrance-day-service-1.1581056
gn201310311219996ar-jpg.jpg


 
The following is a link to a pdf of the City of Hamilton's vote of thanks to specific named reservist veterans on Roto 3-08 which includes MCpl Byron Rodriguez from 23 Field Ambulance.

http://www2.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/6E0C90BF-38B1-496C-BC84-05557AB1EF95/0/Jun10Minutes.pdf

Below are two earlier articles on MCpl Rodriguez.

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2009/06/08/medic-recalls-hardships-of-war

NEWS BRANTFORD-BRANT
Medic recalls hardships of war

By Heather Ibbotson, Brantford Expositor
Monday, June 8, 2009 12:00:00 EDT AM



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Brantford resident and Master Cpl. Byron Rodriguez knows first-hand the grim realities of military service in Afghanistan.

He spent more than seven months on a tour of duty as a medic, among the first responders to field casualties. He has inserted chest tubes and performed an emergency tracheotomy.

He's also one of those responsible for preparing the bodies of fallen soldiers -- some of them friends -- for return home to Canadian soil.

"I've put friends in body bags," he said Sunday, his eyes misting at the memories. "It's the hardest thing I ever did in my life."

Rodriguez, 49, was one of a group of local soldiers who attended a welcome home celebration for Afghanistan veterans at the Brant Artillery Gunner's Club.

While on his tour of duty, Rodriguez also had part of his nose shot off by an Afghan child shooting a rock from a slingshot.

He said he refused immediate care himself, telling his commander, "I still have my legs and my arms and my eyes, so the mission must continue."

Five hours later, it took 26 stitches to reattach the hanging chunk of flesh to his nose.

Still, Rodriguez, a reservist with the 23rd Field Ambulance in Hamilton, who also has long ties with the local 56th Field Artillery Regiment, said he wants to go back.

"We're doing good work in Afghanistan," he said. "We're making a diff erence."

Rodriguez, who was born in Guatemala and immigrated to Canada in 1973 with his parents and siblings, said he deplores some of the things he saw and came to understand about life in Afghanistan.

Women have no rights there, having to walk behind their male relatives and avoiding all eye contact, he said. It is not unusual for a woman coming home late to be sent to jail by her husband as punishment, he said.

The Taliban also uses children in shocking ways, only one of which is to act as slingshot-firing snipers, as Rodriguez painfully discovered.

He was told that if children refuse such orders they are beaten or even have finger joints cut off .

Yet, Rodriguez said he still manages to see hope in the building of hospitals, schools and houses and has been heartened by the sight of friendly youngsters waving innocent hands and carrying books to school.

Master bombardier Matt Bradley, 28, of Brantford, was another of the local soldiers home from a tour of duty as a reservist in western Afghanistan.

He returned home May 10 from a 7 1/2-month tour. Bradley's deployment was spent largely in a secure operating base as part of a gun detachment. His unit's job was to provide fire support for anyone who needed help on the combat team, he said.

"I always wanted to do a tour to give something back and do my part," Bradley said.

As a reservist, he felt that going to Afghanistan gave him an opportunity to do his job "for real."

On Sunday, words of recognition and thanks to all returning veterans were expressed by local politicians and representatives from local legions.

Also speaking at the event was Second World War veteran Derek Pike, of Brantford, who told the gathering that "65 years ago yesterday" he was among the thousands of Canadian troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

It was late, nearing 11 p. m., but due to what Pike called "British double daylight savings time," it was not yet fully dark, he said.

Pike recalled sleeping on the ground or in the back of a truck for three months after that day, adding that he "never saw a bed"

until he reached Antwerp in September 1944.

Pike also teased the c u r re n t veterans about having Tim Hortons coffee and pizza while serving overseas.

"We had none of that," he said, recalling the large tins of bully beef (corned beef) which, when empty, were rigged into containers for water to allow soldiers to enjoy the most rudimentary of showers.

"I'm glad you're back and glad I'm alive to talk to you," Pike told the younger generation of veterans.


http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2012/03/15/two-classes-of-war-vets

Two classes of war vets

By Vicki Gough, Chatham Daily News
Thursday, March 15, 2012 7:28:07 EDT PM

Byron Rodriguez of Tilbury displays a medal and commander's commendation he received in Kandahar for delaying medical attention for himself during a mission. Rodriquez was on an improvised explosive device (IED) call when he took a large rock in the face, leaving him with a fractured nose and nerve damage. Photo taken Thursday March 15, 2012 in Tilbury Ontario.  VICKI GOUGH/ THE CHATHAM DAILY NEWS/ QMI AGENCY
Byron Rodriguez of Tilbury displays a medal and commander's commendation he received in Kandahar for delaying medical attention for himself during a mission. Rodriquez was on an improvised explosive device (IED) call when he took a large rock in the face, leaving him with a fractured nose and nerve damage. Photo taken Thursday March 15, 2012 in Tilbury Ontario. VICKI GOUGH/ THE CHATHAM DAILY NEWS/ QMI AGENCY

A medical laboratory technician by trade, Byron Rodriguez chose to serve his country on combat missions in Afghanistan.

The Tilbury man is a member of Canada's militia. The father of three is Section Commander of 23 Field Ambulance Detachment London.

"It was my choice to go to war because Canada is a beautiful place to me and my family," Rodriguez told The Chatham Daily News.

At age 48, Rodriguez was commander of a quick response force. It was his team's job to help soldiers in jeopardy on the battlefield.

During one assignment in 2008, Rodriguez was injured when a large rock was thrown towards his vehicle and hit him in the face. It ripped into his nose and broke it.

"I had half my nose amputated and received 22 stitches to close the cut around one nostril," Rodriguez said.

He used his own hands to reset his nose. Then he insisted on carrying on with the mission.

Rodriguez received a Sacrifice Medal, the highest commendation given to a reservist, for his decision to delay his medical attention for five hours to allow other soldiers to be brought to safety.

When he did get medical attention, the attending medic used a computer to learn how to stitch his nose back together, Rodriguez said.

But four years later, he's facing a battle back home.

Veteran's Affairs and the Department of National Defence have yet to decide if Rodriguez should receive financial compensation.

"A reservist, when you come home that's it, not like in the regular force. If you want any medical attention you have to go look for it, they don't offer it to you," Rodriguez explained.

Meanwhile, he has constant pain from nerve damage in his right cheek. And after two root canals, a tooth finally had to be pulled.

"When I smile, one side goes up and the other side stays down. My face hurts 24-7," Rodriguez said.

He has also been told he's not eligible to work in a medical lab because he was exposed to health hazards among the Taliban.

"Nobody will hire me here," Rodriguez said, adding, "Veteran's Affairs says, no, you're fine, and the Department of National Defence says you can work."

Waiting for decisions from Veteran's Affairs and the Department of National Defence (DND) is not uncommon says a spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Legion.

"All Canadian Forces members who have been injured in the service of their country should be treated equitably," said Royal Canadian Legion Dominion president Patricia Varga.

Varga maintains it doesn't make sense that two government departments, when they do process injured veterans claims, don't offer similar compensation.

Veteran's Affairs Canada assures a $40,000 pre-tax yearly benefit while DND's long-term disability insurance provides 75% of the pre-release salary to veterans who are released for medical reasons.

"It's terrible ... it's a bureaucratic financial nightmare" RCL Dominion command service director Andrea Siew told The Daily News.

Some receive $40,000 a year, while others are getting $20,000, she said.

"These are kids permanently disabled and for the most part they are young and it's terrible," she said.

The RCL Dominion command decided to raise the issue now Siew said, because the federal government hasn't followed through on its commitment to end the inequity.

"There are psychological injuries, physical injuries and they're trying to deal day to day just to survive now," Siew said.

"I went there to do a job and that's what I was doing," Rodriguez said.

"They recognize injuries while we were in Afghanistan ... cover any medications, any treatments you need, but they won't give you a (disability) pension," he said.

Rodriguez currently receives $1,600 a month employment insurance. But that revenue source will end in June.

"No disrespect to the civilian staff, but they don't know what goes on there, things we seen, the stuff we did," he said.

"Our claims sit on their desks waiting to be decided," he added.

vicki.gough@sunmedia.ca
 
So?  It could be another case of someone who actually served, taking the 'liberty' to add Honours and Qualifications that they did not earn, to their uniform. 

Not the first time that a serving member has done such a unethical deed.
 
George Wallace said:
So?  It could be another case of someone who actually served, taking the 'liberty' to add Honours and Qualifications that they did not earn, to their uniform. 

Not the first time that a serving member has done such a unethical deed.

Absolutely, some were even LCols....
 
All the jumpers that I've known were extremely proud of their white wings and would wear them when they could.  In the photo with the cadets he is not wearing wings.  Perhaps there is a valid reason why he is not wearing wings (sewn on uniform), but it doesn't smell right.

He would have to have earned the Cyprus medal before the mid 1990s when we maintained a large contingent there for OP SNOWGOOSE. Now we have one officer working in UN HQ Cyprus.  According to the newspapers his first Afghan tour was in 2008 therefore he would had the Cyprus medal already mounted.  In 2000 the Canadian Service Medal was awarded therefore he would have mounted the Cyprus and Peacekeeping medal together.  After his subsequent Afghan tours he would have submitted the Cyprus and Peacekeeping medal along with his GCS-SWA medal in 2008/09/10 and CD for mounting.  A professional would have known to overlapped the six medals.

Perhaps things are more difficult in getting medals mounted in the Militia but I'm pretty sure that his RSM would have assisted him in getting this done properly.

I'm not saying that he is Walt but I am curious to ask why his CO would have signed off a waiver for three tours, how he earned his white wings (served with the QOR?), and why his medals are not mounted properly.


 
The way it is written it looks like three tours, I thought the samething. One article says task force 3 08 which was sometime at the end of 2008 to sometime in 2009 which I believe was 3 RCR. Now after that Vandoos then the Patricia went. Sometime in 2010 i believe 1RCR went over. So to me he did back to back tours with the RCR. I knew guys in the PPCLI that did 2006 then 2008 tour.
 
I am challenged to accept his contention that he did 3 tours back to back. IMHO, as a reservist he could not have done so for the following reasons:

a. there were few if any extensions granted at the time;
b. as a reservist he would have annual leave to burn, and there was a prohibition on contract extensions;
c. as a "specialist" NCO he would have needed to train with the unit he was attached to.

I can recollect no instances in where reserve medical personnel went back to back. That is not to say that he didn't go back over having spent the absolute minimum time at home. The Fd Ambs were doing tours every 18 months, but some folks were always out the door in between the big groupings.

My own experience tells me that he's stretching facts a little thin. My recollection of history and the limitations imposed on Class C contracts doesn't mesh with his story.

I went over in 2006, and again in 2008. My waiver needed to go well up the food chain beyond the CO, and that's as a RegF CPO2.

 
Rodriguez was on 3-08. He mostly crew commanded a bison on convoys. He didn't put any fucking bodies in body bags, nor was he shot. A kid pegged him in the face with a rock.

My medic buddy who knows him very well has nothing but scorn to heap on him. He was not trusted with patients, and is notorious for BS stories.
 
Brihard said:
My medic buddy who knows him very well has nothing but scorn to heap on him. He was not trusted with patients, and is notorious for BS stories.

Can he confirm whether he has ever been to Cyprus to earn the UNICYP medal? That'd be the nail in the coffin to call the RCMP on this clown.
 
Brihard said:
Rodriguez was on 3-08. He mostly crew commanded a bison on convoys. He didn't put any fucking bodies in body bags, nor was he shot. A kid pegged him in the face with a rock.

My medic buddy who knows him very well has nothing but scorn to heap on him. He was not trusted with patients, and is notorious for BS stories.

What a dummy.
 
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