VC up for auction

[Robert Bergeron]

OMG Hanno ! Not just a soldier from Saskatchewan but a Canadian national hero !

I distinctly remember serving at Currie Barracks in Calgary while working alongside the LDSH ( Lord Stratcona Horse , an armoured unit ) early in my career. It made an impression. He was God there.

I am not sure if now everyone ( including the Minister ) understands the national historic and military significance of these medals.

I hope her recent dealings with Netflix did not obscure or distract her attention to the point of letting these go to private hands outCan.

In CANADA we need and ought to recognize and cherish our national heroes goddamit !

We have few that were recognized but there were many more. So please , please let's treat them ( the ones that were ) like royalty.

I am a collector and I believe in private property . But as everything else in life there are limits ! In my opinion this is a case were the public should be able to revere and reflect over these medals in a proper public display.

OF INTEREST : At The Toronto Staff College Officer's Mess , there is a room were all Canadian recipients of the VC are remembered . AWESOME. Never felt so sad , proud and at the same time humbled . A lot are posthumous. Kind of the same feeling I got when I visited the Peace tower in Ottawa and saw the book of Remembrance for the first time.

Note for our friends from overseas : The book of Remembrance contains the names of all Canadian service members killed in action during the First and Second World Wars , the Korean conflict and all subsequent Peacekeeping missions . More recently were added the names of our comrades killed in the Afghan War. It is a very important document and a page is turned every day so that every soldier that courageously gave his life gets a chance to be publicly remembered . .

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi

So our government could not come up with more than $550K? K not M. I thought that the medals would go considerably higher. As a filthy dirty Strat in Calgary, I knew the story. As a collector of medals to Cavalry and Armoured Cdns, I drooled over the sale of the medals. Un-obtainable for a collector like me but knowing the hobby, the law, the Intermediary, the history, the man etc I was sure hoping the Feds would pony up the dough but alas, not to be. Maybe Currie was related to Brad Wall.

Perhaps the medals are better off in the hands of someone who respects them, regardless.

regards
Darrell

[rob love]

Not $550K, but $660K. Even the government of Canada would not have got out of the buyer's premium. Mind you, under the Liberals proposed changes to the small business tax laws, they would have recouped most of that anyway. A private buyer from Ontario would be on the hook for another $85,800 in HST if he was fortunate enough to be living in Ontario. I think I would have to sell just about all my worldly possessions to buy that set.

But what a great set to buy.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Maybe concerned Canadians should start an online petition? Demand your government NOT to grant an export permit...

H.

[rob love]

I won't be signing it. If the government of Canada wanted the VC, then it should have paid for it.

If it can pay a member of Canada's first family of terrorism 10.5 million for things that happened to him under US control, then it can pony up the full market value of the medal group. Ones property is ones property.

[Wayne Hingley]

Originally Posted by rob love

If it can pay a member of Canada's first family of terrorism 10.5 million for things that happened to him under US control, then it can pony up the full market value of the medal group.

Now that's the disappointing reality... Very sad situation.

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by rob love

If it can pay a member of Canada's first family of terrorism 10.5 million for things that happened to him under US control, then it can pony up the full market value of the medal group. Ones property is ones property.

Well said Rob and I think shows the true feelings of this government towards the military and our heritage.

So if the medal group is allowed to leave the country, then first what would that move say about protecting cultural property and secondly what sort of response would the move draw from Veteran's groups and concerned individuals?

If the medal group is not allowed to leave then what secret deal has been orchestrated between the buyer and Canada - perhaps a 'good-will donation' touted in the media or a 'behind-the-scenes buy-out'? I doubt anyone outside of Canada with the means to purchase a VC medal group would gamble on never getting it; so I feel some sort of deal has already been struck.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

Well said Rob and I think shows the true feelings of this government towards the military and our heritage.

So if the medal group is allowed to leave the country, then first what would that move say about protecting cultural property and secondly what sort of response would the move draw from Veteran's groups and concerned individuals?

If the medal group is not allowed to leave then what secret deal has been orchestrated between the buyer and Canada - perhaps a 'good-will donation' touted in the media or a 'behind-the-scenes buy-out'? I doubt anyone outside of Canada with the means to purchase a VC medal group would gamble on never getting it; so I feel some sort of deal has already been struck.

I agree with all you and Rob are saying. I bet there's more that could be said but isn't lest we get too political and banned from the site (not diminishing the correctness of those thoughts regarding the government's treatment of heritage and our military).

That said it would be so typical that the government now wage a legal challenge or some other nonsense move to retain what they now (after the horse has bolted from the barn) are shamed into grudgingly agreeing are significant national treasures. They will spend millions more than the purchase price of the medals in this after the fact moral conversion.