Richard Green (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Private Richard A. Green (May 26, 1980-April 17, 2002) was a Canadian
soldier killed in Afghanistan
in what became known as the Tarnak Farm incident
in which a U.S.
plane dropped a laser-guided bomb on the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
. The infantry was participating in an authorized training exercise which involved live firing of anti-tank and machine-gun rounds taking place on a captured Taliban firing range.
Green's mother, Doreen Young, was chosen by the Royal Canadian Legion
to be the Silver Cross Mother
for the Remembrance Day
ceremony in 2002. In February 2003, she filed a wrongful death claim
against the U.S. government. Her claim argued the pilots acted recklessly when they dropped the 225-kilogram bomb.
However, lawyers representing Young were informed by the United States that, under the Foreign Claims Act
in the U.S., Afghan legal codes would have to be applied in the case against the U.S. government.
Green was born in Edmonton
, Alberta
in 1980 and grew up in Mill Cove, Nova Scotia
. He graduated from Forest Heights Community School
in 1998. Green joined the Canadian Army in September 1998. He was 21 when he died. He had previously served on a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soldier killed in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in what became known as the Tarnak Farm incident
Tarnak Farm incident
The Tarnak Farm incident refers to the killing of four Canadian soldiers and the injury of eight others from the Third Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on the night of April 17, 2002, by an American F-16 fighter jet. The aircraft, piloted by U.S...
in which a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
plane dropped a laser-guided bomb on the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
. The infantry was participating in an authorized training exercise which involved live firing of anti-tank and machine-gun rounds taking place on a captured Taliban firing range.
Green's mother, Doreen Young, was chosen by the Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
to be the Silver Cross Mother
Silver Cross Mother
A Silver Cross Mother is chosen each year by the Royal Canadian Legion to lay a wreath during the Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on behalf of all mothers who have lost children in the service of their country. The title is named for the Silver Cross, a medal awarded...
for the Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
ceremony in 2002. In February 2003, she filed a wrongful death claim
Wrongful death claim
Wrongful death is a claim in common law jurisdictions against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute...
against the U.S. government. Her claim argued the pilots acted recklessly when they dropped the 225-kilogram bomb.
However, lawyers representing Young were informed by the United States that, under the Foreign Claims Act
Foreign Claims Act
The Foreign Claims Act, , or FCA, is a United States federal law enacted on January 2, 1942 that provides compensation to inhabitants of foreign countries for personal injury, death, or property damage caused by, or incident to noncombat activities of United States military personnel overseas....
in the U.S., Afghan legal codes would have to be applied in the case against the U.S. government.
Green was born in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
in 1980 and grew up in Mill Cove, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. He graduated from Forest Heights Community School
Forest Heights Community School
Forest Heights Community School is a high school located in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada. Servicing students and families from eastern Lunenburg County, it is a member school of the South Shore Regional School Board.- Background :...
in 1998. Green joined the Canadian Army in September 1998. He was 21 when he died. He had previously served on a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
.
See also
- Sergeant Marc Léger
- Corporal Ainsworth Dyer
- Private Nathan SmithNathan Lloyd SmithPrivate Nathan Lloyd Smith was a Canadian soldier who was killed in a friendly fire incident near Kandahar, Afghanistan ....