Air Reserve Squadron, with complete disregard for their own safety, attempted to remove LCol William Graham and Capt John Reeve who were trapped in the cockpit. Sgt Weber and an officer who was also on board the craft, managed to escape through the passenger door and were joined shortly by WO Monteith and Cpl Zylich, who had witnessed the airplane plummet to the ground. While Cpl Zylich sprayed the flames resulting from ruptured fuel tanks, Sgt Weber and WO Monteith climbed through a narrow door of the cockpit and attempted to free the unconscious victims from behind the instrument panel. Braving the intense heat and smoke, the men persisted with exceptional determination until forced to retreat, and moments later, an explosion blasted through the wreckage. The force ejected LCol Graham from the cockpit and the rescuers quickly extinguished flames on his suit, but Capt Reeve perished in the fire.
Medals generally signify service in an operational area or for an organization.
Examples include the Coronation Medal, the Canadian Centennial Medal, the United Nations Medal, and the Cyprus Medal. Although individual merit may be involved, as was the case with the award of the Canadian Centennial Medal, in general the requirements are to have served a specific tour at a given time. It goes without saying that we cannot wear orders, medals and decorations to which we are not entitled. Also, there are prescribed occasions for formal wear such as parades and ceremonies. Their precedence is set by the date of appointment or award within each category.