CORNWALL Ontario – Arlene and Bryan Fitzgerald have a lot to celebrate for their 41st
Wedding Anniversary as their son, former Princess Patricia Light Infantry Man Master Corporal Collin Fitzgerald was released on bail after a two day hearing and will be with them to help celebrate.
Collin stood in the box for the second day of the hearing and listened to Justice of the Peace Herb Kreling work through the extensive list of charges and conditions.
Assistant Crown attorney Katie Clarey had one additional request; but Mr. Fitzgerald was reunited with his parents within an hour and met by Friends of Vets supporters and media outside the courthourse.
Fitzgerald had been charged with intimidating an OPP officer two weeks ago, and was held at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre which led Mr. Fitzgerald to suggest that the Taliban prisoners had been treated better in Afghanistan than he’d been treated.
It was alleged that the prison was not administering his medication, as he suffers from PTSD, as prescribed.
His parents, friend Adam Lauzon, and Friends of Vets supporters were in tears as the strict bail was granted.
Lauzon was an air cadet with Collin before he joined the Glens here in Cornwall (none of whom showed up for either day of the hearing) and eventually joined the Princess Pats. One of the most emotional moments was Thursday when Lauzon and some of the Friends of Vets and Legion members saluted Fitzgerald when he entered the court room.
Lawyer Gaye Leroux jumped to Mr. Fitzgerald’s defense when he became aware of the case at the court house.
Mr. Leroux himself was a police officer for twenty years and is no stranger to PTSD himself.
Collin said he couldn’t wait to see his daughter after walking out of the courthouse. While today may have been a brief victory he faces a daunting next step as he has to work through the legal system as he faces his outstanding charges and treatment for his condition.
No Canadian Soldier should be treated with anything other than respect for what they put on the line while on duty. Ultimately when the lives of our Armed Forces are impacted we owe it to them to help as best we can in Canada.
Mr. Fitzgerald jumped into a burning vehicle under fire which led to him being awarded the Medal of Military Valour by the Governor General.
Mr. Fitzgerald is lucky to have the support of his family and supporters; but how many Collin Fitzgerald’s don’t have that support?
Do we leave them on the streets or in jail cells?
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Ignoring all the belly aching about this site on this story CFN has been above the call of duty with stories and video on this case.
I don’t pretend to know anything about this young man or the police officer who was allegedly put under threat BUT so far this is so much better than the death of yet another Afghan Veteran.
Not that long ago faced with another standoff the Veteran died.
Greg Matters was fatally shot by RCMP during a standoff
our legal system and the treatment of our war vets leaves a lot to be desired, it’s disgusting and disturbing
People like Colin need a lot of help and I am so proud that he loves and respects his parents. I know the real truth about the wars and nothing like what the people are told and Colin I can say has been through hell runneth over including all vets who have been overseas. I have a great neighbor across from me (a new neighbor) who is a vet but not overseas and we spoke this morning about that and the farce of an election. I told her that I would rather die than to go somewhere and kill my fellow man or woman or child. She asked my husband about Iraq, etc. and my husband said that nobody should be there and that is tribal warfare. There was a car bombing in Beirut this morning and one killed and 32 wounded and my husband’s sister sent him a message on his phone saying that everyone is afraid and staying inside. Colin I am sending you my best wishes and I know that you and others are in terrible pain and I can see it in you and my heart is big. My husband is from Lebanon and has gone through hell with his family abroad during the Civil War and all and it isn’t finished and will continue. All my best to you and you your parents – be mighty proud of your parents because they are standing with you and offer so much love and support.
I went through what Collin went through. I went to jail, had to quit my medication, had to swallow my pride. The jail guards even knowing where I had been and what I was there for didn’t give me preferential treatment, even I spent most of my time in solitary because they taught I might hurt other inmates. The justice system really kicked me while I was down. There’s no silver lining, I can’t get a job, because the employer views me like this; he’s an Afghan Vet with a criminal record. Who in there right mind would hire me? The Judge like I said in an earlier post when he sentenced gave me “the kiss of Death”. I mean I’m just slowly slipping into poverty, no matter what I do. The only hope I have is maybe politicians and law makers will some day start putting pressure on companies to hire veterans. And keep in mind that I’ve tried the so called web-sight that promote themselves as finding jobs for vets. Well these organization are fraudulent and in my opinion do very little to help the situation. I wish I had uplifting words for Collin but I don’t. The fact of the matter is when it comes to find a job, and your potential employer, does a back ground check and knows you’ve been to Afghanistan and you see yourself slipping into poverty, your going to realize how cruel the law is.
I have a little more to say about Afghan Vets today, I don’t know if anybody will read this but here it is.
After world War 2 soldiers came back home with PTSD. Today soldiers are coming back home with PTSD. The 2 major differences between then and now are; after world war 2 soldiers where coming home to jobs and financial security. The industry was booming and people where proud to hire vets. In 1945 people where tolerant, even some Judges where Veterans. Most had seen soldiers coming back from WW1 and WW2 they had a clear understanding of the sacrifice that soldiers made to ensure freedom. Today there are no jobs waiting for Vets. and people don’t know what sacrifice soldiers have to make to preserve freedom. Also because people do not remember what war is and don’t know what war is, this includes Judges, cops, politician, etc, people don’t care, They assume that’s it’s there god given right to be free, when in reality, soldiers are the ones keeping them free. I’m alone in a sea of people who don’t really care and so is Collin.
Sadly, Micael Duguay, you are correct. WW 2 vets were offered affordable housing, schooling opportunities, and respect. The Afghan vets are offered a kick in the head and kind wishes from scum like Julian Fantino and Dear Leader Harper. Boggles the mind.
Individuals serving in the military know the risks of their chosen profession. The tragedy of the Afghanistan mission is that the Federal Liberal Government should never have sent troops there in the first place. Did the Russian experience not teach us anything.
The production and sale of opium provides the funding for the Taliban. When the poppy fields are destroyed the people starve. The Taliban step in to provide money for people to feed their families and all they have to do is kill soldiers from other nations in exchange for survival. This vicious cycle of events will likely continue until a new strategy aimed at changing the economics of Afghanistan is implemented. Remember the definition of insanity? Our men and women sent over by the Liberals were affected by a poor political decision. That is the tragic reality. The current state of our military and the applicant screening process is yet another.
Something I don’t understand. Why would anyone voluntarily sign up to go to war, especially an unwinnable war started by G. Dubya? Just about every soldier will tell you that they look forward to combat. That’s why they sign up and that’s what they train for. Sadly, once their dream comes true, and they actually experience the horror of war, it’s too late to back out.
Furtz for many I think it’s sadly one of the few viable job ops.
That is correct, Jamie. Our military, as well as the US military depends on the unemployed and underemployed youth to fill the ranks. When will they ever learn?
@Furtz & Admin I agree with both of you on the last comments. After years of Liberal domination our military degraded into an ill equipped mostly peace keeping force. This is just one of my reasons for stating that our men and women should not have been sent to Afghanistan in the first place. Although politically Canada was committed for a period of time to remain true to the previous Liberal Governments promise of support I still maintain that the Conservatives should have ended our involvement sooner. That is my opinion.