Star Of Courage
The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. Post-nominal: S.C.
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Date of Instrument: Feb 11, 1998 Date of Presentation: Sept 18, 1998
TEEN KILLED BY TRAIN SAVES LIFE OF GIRLFRIEND
He joined the cadets at age 12. When he asked to join cadets, his mother thought it was a passing fancy. She gave it three weeks. But her son found something in the structure and the discipline that appealed to what his father called Paul's 'strong warrior spirit'. After moving to Maple Ridge, he would spend two hours on the bus every Tuesday riding to the armouries at Maple and West 11th. His boots were always polished, his uniform pressed. One of his Commanding Officers has early memories of a little boy who refused to quit at anything he tried. Two years in a row, he studied and trained for his 'Gold Star' testing. Two years in a row he failed. But the third year, Paul was back, this time returning with such conviction that he topped the class and earned a trip to Scotland.
By the time he was 17, he made regimental sergeant major, the highest ranking cadet in the Corps. In a private ceremony, his friend and former Regimental Sergeant Major Craig Burridge passed Paul the pace stick - a drill cane that symbolizes authority and leadership within the Corps. Of all the honors he received in his brief life, none meant more to Paul than that one. He had also fallen in love with a classmate, Samantha. On November 21, 1996, they missed their bus, and because of the cold weather decided to take a shortcut home by walking along the train tracks. They had thought they would hear a train coming but when they heard the whistle blow it was too late to escape the braking locomotive that was bearing down on them. Samantha froze in shock. Without hesitation or regard for his own personal safety, Paul lunged towards her and pushed her out of the way. Because of his prompt and courageous action Samantha escaped certain death, but Paul was unable to clear the track in time and he sustained fatal injuries.
Three days later, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, family, League and military representatives and friends gathered around to pay their final respects. A lone piper plays a lament and a group of gangly cadets in tears and rumpled uniforms bid farewell to their Regimental Sergeant Major.
ADOLESCENT TUE PAR UN TRAIN EN SAUV ANT SON AMIE
A douze ans il devint cadet de l'armee. Lorsqu'll demanda a sa mere la permission de se joindre aux cadets elle se dit qu'apres trois semaines ce caprice passerait. II faut croire que son fils a trouve tin je-ne-sais-quoi dans la structure et la discipline qui a captive, son pere vous dira son 'esprit combatlf'. Apres avoir demenage a Maple Ridge, chaque mardi, Paul se rendait au Corps de Cadets sur les rues Maple et 11 Ouest, il faut dire que ce trajet durait deux heures. Ses bottines etaient toujours clrees, son uniforme presse. Un des souvenirs d'un Commandant du Corps est d'un petit gar~on ten ace dans tout ce qu'll entreprenait. Deux ans de suite il etudia et s'entraina pour les Examens de l'Etoile d'Or. Deux ans de suite il manqua son coup. Mais la
troisieme fols, victoire. II se classa ler de sa classe et se merita un voyage en Ecosse.
A 17 ans, il devint sergent major du Corps. Au cours d'une ceremonie privee, son ami, l'ancien sergent major Craig Burridge lui passe Ie mesure-pas et la canne symbole d'autorite et de leadership au sein du Corps. Cet honneur fut Ie plus precieux que Paul a pu recevoir durant sa vie. Durant ce temps Paul s'est epris d'une camarade de classe, Samantha. Jeudi Ie 21 novembre 1996 ayant manque l'autobus de fin d'apres-midi, les deux jeunes ont decide, en raison du froid qu'il faisait, de rentrer chez eux par un raccourci empruntant la voie ferree, persuades de pouvoir entendre venir les trains, Ie cas echeant. Mais, lorsqu'ils ont entendu Ie sifflet, il etait trop
tard pour eviter la locomotive qui fon~ait droit sur eux en freinant sans pouvoir s'arreter, Samantha est restee figee d'effroi. Sans I'ombre d'une hesitation et sans meme se soucier de sa securite personnelle, Paul s'est fIance vers elle et l'a poussee vivement hors de la portee de la locomotive. En raison de son geste prompt et courageux, Samantha a echappe a une mort certaine, mais Paul n'a pas reussi a quitter la voie ferree a temps et II a subi des blessures mortelles.
Trois jours plus tard par un dimanche apres-mide pluvieux la famille, membres de la Ligue, representants militaire et de nombreux am is se rassemblent pour dire adieu a Paul. Un cornemuseur joue une lamentation tandis qu'un groupe de cadets degingandes, en uniformes fripes pleurent et disent adieu a leur sergent major. Le 18 septembre 1998 a la Citadelle, Quebec lors d'une ceremonie presidee par son Excellence Ie tres honorable Romeo LeBlanc, Gouverneur general et Commandant en Chef du Canada, a decerne a titre posthume l'Etoile du Courage a Paul Benner. Sa mere etait presente pour accepter l'Etolle du Courage au nom de son fils.
