American and Canadian veterans of an elite Second World War fighting force have received the United States’ highest civilian honour.
Surviving members of the Devil’s Brigade, a legendary force made up of approximately 1,800 Canadians and Americans, were presented with a Congressional Gold Medal by leaders of the U.S. House and Senate in Washington on Tuesday. The award was given to more than 40 surviving members of the unit.
Fourteen Canadian veterans attended the ceremony, which took place 71 years after the elite force joined the Allies in Anzio, Italy.
The unit, officially known as the United States-Canadian 1st Special Service Force, was tasked with getting behind enemy lines to wage war. Many of the troops were rough-and-tumble lumberjacks and miners. Approximately 230 members of the unit are still alive.
During the presentation, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner honoured the men for their courage and sacrifice.
“These men saved the free world, and now are free to savour the triumph and to share their stories for years to come,” a tearful Boehner said.
The once-top-secret unit became famous for being a fearsome bunch who never lost a battle.
The group was the inspiration behind “The Devil’s Brigade,” a 1968 film that starred William Holden.
Their nickname came from a journal they captured from a German officer, who had described the “Black Devils” as being everywhere, but unseen. On night patrols, the Devil’s Brigade would blacken their faces with shoe polish to avoid enemy detection.
“We never know where they’re going to hit or strike next,” the German officer wrote.
In just two years, the Devil’s Brigade liberated towns in Italy and France, capturing an estimated 30,000 prisoners.
At Tuesday’s ceremony, Canadian veteran Charles Dunn told the audience that he was “most honoured and humbled” to receive the medal.
Dunn also paid tribute to current U.S. and Canadian military personnel.
“These are our historical modern special force members today,” he said. “Please give them all the support that you can.”
Jack Callowhill, one of the Canadian veterans who travelled to Washington to attend the ceremony, said it was their unconventional training and survival skills that made them so effective.
“Back in those days, we got a nickname of being a haywire outfit because we didn’t do the standard -- we did it our way,” Callowhill told CTV’s Joy Malbon Tuesday. “And our way proved to be the best.”
All these years later, Callowhill said his thoughts are with the brothers-in-arms that his unit has lost.
“We feel sad that there’s so many guys gone, that aren’t here to see it or to enjoy it,” Callowhill said.
That includes Al Wilson of Hamilton, Ont. He was scheduled to attend the ceremony but died the day before.
Canadian Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole, who also spoke at the ceremony, said in a statement that the medal was a “fitting honour” in recognition of the troops.
“The impact these remarkable men made during the Second World War has been felt around the world and will never be forgotten,” O’Toole said.
In 2013, then-Defence Minister Peter MacKay presented 13 Devil’s Brigade veterans with the Minister’s Award for Operational Excellence.
A single Congressional medal was awarded to the unit as a whole. However, the Canadian grandson of one of the military men did pay to make bronze replicas of the medal for the men to take home.
“This is a very modest way, I think, for me and my family to say thank you to my granddad for his service and also to these men,” he said.
With files from CTV’s Joy Malbon and with files from The Canadian Press
