HOW THE CURRIE VICTORIA CROSS STAYED IN CANADA

Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan and Lt.-Col. David Currie’s granddaughter Sandy Currie observe his Victoria Cross medal set in Ottawa.

The story of Currie’s Victoria Cross and his other medals — how they were sold by his widow, and subsequently purchased by the unidentified foreign collector for $660,000 — has been widely reported.

Hidden in that story, however, is the fact that Stromberg, Brownlee and two other local families — Sandra and Dallas Howe and Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé — put up what the lawyer said was “more than half” of the Canadian bid.

Stromberg said he was inspired to help fund the bid because the Saskatchewan-born soldier’s medal is an “important Canadian cultural artifact” that should have stayed in Canada, and not been shipped off to a collection in another country.

Jeff Noakes, a Second World War historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, said the collective effort to keep Currie’s decorations in Canada underscores just how important he and the Battle of Normandy are.

“These are all people, and these are their stories — and these awards help tell those stories, and through them the experiences of Canadians and of Canada, and its military history,” Noakes said.

Stromberg said that while only three of the people he approached to fund the Canadian War Museum’s bid — which also included government support — agreed to help, he has no regrets — and can’t wait to see the medal for himself.

“We did feel pretty darn good about it.”

The medal was on public display until May. The Canadian War Museum is looking at ways to put it on permanent display.

To read the complete article, see:
Saskatchewan families helped keep Currie Victoria Cross in Canada (https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/saskatchewan-families-helped-keep-currie-victoria-cross-in-canada)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
CURRIE CANADIAN VICTORIA CROSS TO BE SOLD (http://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n35a26.html)
CURRIE CANADIAN VICTORIA CROSS SOLD (http://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n40a32.html)
CURRIE CANADIAN VICTORIA CROSS SALE REVIEW (http://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n49a34.html)
CURRIE VICTORIA CROSS TO STAY IN CANADA (http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n18a32.html)

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