Should Family Members of Deceased Veterans Be Allowed To Wear Their Medals?

wow people did this all the time on rememberace day down in cape breton i never knew it was illegal.well my thoughts the law needs to be revisited as it is a useless law in that knowone in their right mind would ever try to enforce it.so in the meantime buds keep on wearing them no one will stop you.
propat

Read this today and thought I'd get other people's opinions on this matter.

Defence Watch has received this from one of its readers, Dr. Michael Pilon, who hopes to figure out a way to change the rules about the wearing of medals of a close, deceased relative. Here is what he writes:

“My father and 6 relatives served in WWII, one was a POW, another wounded in Holland, Two also served in WWI. My dad passed away 7 years ago. In his honour and in remembrance I have been wearing his medals to the Ceremonies on the right side of my coat. Mine are on the left. Two years ago someone started to chide me about that, it is illegal and all. He was quite vociferous. I told him “I would not want to be the one who tried to take them off me.” The nearby group turned and gave me a thumbs up.

I thought that it was just a misinformed, albeit rude , person. But according to Veterans Affairs it is in fact a criminal offence. I told Australians I served with in Cyprus and they are incredulous as in Oz and in the UK people are asked to honour their departed relatives who served, with this respectful gesture.

I have worn my dad’s medals with pride and respect for the past two years; but the specter of “arrest” is a bit much.

As you may recall I was the person who basically ‘shamed’ the Government into posting sentries at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier due to repeated abuses. It was a 3 year process but in summer we are now doing the right thing.

So without any pre-planning I seem to be on another mission.

Any help would be appreciated.

With thanks,

Dr. Michael Pilon CD DDS DDPH ( Major Retired)”

He later wrote pointing out the irony that although the law is designed to prevent relatives from wearing medals, there is nothing stopping families from selling these medals to strangers.

Any thoughts on this issue?

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/11/28/should-family-members-of-deceased-veterans-be-allowed-to-wear-their-medals/


My opinion: The word hypocritical jumped right into my mind when I read this. VAC says no to a family member from wearing their parents CF service medals but a veteran organization is given permission to wear their organizations medals. Medals that are earned while being a member of a social club that makes the majority of their profits on the sale of alchol!
Seeing CF service medals on the right side contributes more to the definition of Remembrance then a medal that the member basically "bought" thru paying annual dues.