Trevor Greene
Encyclopedia
Captain Charles Trevor Greene is a writer, journalist, and a former officer in the Seaforth Highlanders
of the Canadian Forces
. Greene sustained a massive brain injury after a much publicized attack on March 4, 2006, in the Kandahar Province
, Afghanistan
.
Greene is notable for being one of the first recipients of the Sacrifice Medal
and being the subject of a feature length documentary that won a Gemini Award
, Peace Warrior, which documents his recovery.
Greene was also a torch-bearer for the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics.
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
where he completed a bachelor degree of journalism with honours in 1988. Greene moved to Japan soon after, to work for Bloomberg News and the Yomiuri Shimbun
.
Greene joined the Canadian Navy
in 1995, where he sailed on the HMCS Oriole, the Navy's tall sail-training ship and the oldest commissioned ship of the Canadian Forces. He then settled in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, and transferred to the Canadian Army
's reserve, as an officer in a reserve infantry unit, the Seaforth Highlanders. He also joined Bloomburg News Vancouver bureau, in addition, he began researching and writing about the Downtown Eastside
, an area encompassing five neighborhoods, and noted for a high incidence of poverty, drug use and sex trade.
In 2001, Trevor Greene met his wife, Debbie Lepore, a chartered accountant. In 2005, their daughter Grace was born. On July 24, 2010, Lepore and Greene were married.
Captain Trevor Greene is the honorary patron of the Honour House Society, an organization dedicated to help the families of wounded Canadian soldiers in the Vancouver area. He was also awarded with an Honorary Doctor of Civil Laws in May 2009.
in 2006 as a Civilian-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) officer, volunteering from his home unit of the Seaforth Highlanders.
On March 6, 2006, his platoon, composed of members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
, 1st Battalion, Alpha Company, visited the village of Shinkay in the Shinkay District
, to talk with the village elders about access to clean water and other basic needs under Canada's area of responsibility. After the soldiers removed their helmets, a common practice and show of respect, Abdul Kareem (or Abdullah Karim), a sixteen-year old boy, almost split Greene's brain in half by hitting him with an axe. Kareem tried to hit again but was instantly shot and killed by other members of the platoon. The platoon then came under heavy fire while waiting for a US Army medical evacuation
helicopter. Greene received care on the helicopter, and medic Gary Adams was able to unblock his airway. Greene was transported to the then Canadian-led hospital at Kandahar Air Field where he was stabilized.
He was later evacuated to the Ramstein Air Base
in Germany
from which he was transferred to the Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center
, the largest US Army medical facility outside the continental United States
. There, he underwent further surgery to allow his brain to swell without causing further damages.
Shortly after being stabilized, Trevor Greene was transferred from Landstuhl to the Vancouver General Hospital
, where doctors initially thought he would never come out of his coma. Greene underwent two bilateral cranioplasties
, with the second one successfully repairing his skull. He was also subject to physiotherapy sessions, which were lacking results at first. Greene was then released from the hospital and was transferred to a private-care rehabilitation center in Langley
, BC. On April 30, Trevor Greene started speech therapy sessions.
In July 2007, Greene was admitted to the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury in Ponoka
, Alberta
, for long-term care and rehabilitation.
At that stage, he had made slow but significant progress, and was able to open and close his hands, among other things.
In December 2007, Canadian Forces engineers installed a lift at Lepore's residence in Alberta, which allowed Trevor to come home for Christmas and on week-ends. Around the same time, they also received a wheelchair accessible van from the then-new Military Casualty Support Foundation.
In September 2008, Greene moved to Nanaimo, BC, with his wife and daughter, after spending 14 months at the Alberta facility. , Trevor Greene is now able to stand, but still cannot walk.
. The documentary was narrated by Eric McCormack
.
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada is a light infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The regiment is subordinate to 39 Canadian Brigade Group, Land Forces Western Area...
of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. Greene sustained a massive brain injury after a much publicized attack on March 4, 2006, in the Kandahar Province
Kandahar Province
Kandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on the Arghandab River. The province has a population of nearly...
, 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...
.
Greene is notable for being one of the first recipients of the Sacrifice Medal
Sacrifice Medal
The Sacrifice Medal is a decoration that was created in 2008 as a replacement for the Wound Stripe, being gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council, to members of the Canadian Forces or allied forces who were wounded or killed in action.-Design:The Sacrifice...
and being the subject of a feature length documentary that won a Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
, Peace Warrior, which documents his recovery.
Greene was also a torch-bearer for the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics.
Biography
Trevor Greene was born in 1965 to Richard and Elizabeth Greene. He attended King's CollegeUniversity of King's College
The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....
in Halifax, 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...
where he completed a bachelor degree of journalism with honours in 1988. Greene moved to Japan soon after, to work for Bloomberg News and the Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...
.
Greene joined the Canadian Navy
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
in 1995, where he sailed on the HMCS Oriole, the Navy's tall sail-training ship and the oldest commissioned ship of the Canadian Forces. He then settled in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and transferred to the Canadian Army
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
's reserve, as an officer in a reserve infantry unit, the Seaforth Highlanders. He also joined Bloomburg News Vancouver bureau, in addition, he began researching and writing about the Downtown Eastside
Downtown Eastside
The Downtown Eastside is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is known as "Canada's poorest postal code"....
, an area encompassing five neighborhoods, and noted for a high incidence of poverty, drug use and sex trade.
In 2001, Trevor Greene met his wife, Debbie Lepore, a chartered accountant. In 2005, their daughter Grace was born. On July 24, 2010, Lepore and Greene were married.
Captain Trevor Greene is the honorary patron of the Honour House Society, an organization dedicated to help the families of wounded Canadian soldiers in the Vancouver area. He was also awarded with an Honorary Doctor of Civil Laws in May 2009.
Deployment, injury and recovery
Greene deployed to AfghanistanAfghanistan
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 2006 as a Civilian-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) officer, volunteering from his home unit of the Seaforth Highlanders.
On March 6, 2006, his platoon, composed of members of the 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...
, 1st Battalion, Alpha Company, visited the village of Shinkay in the Shinkay District
Shinkay District
Shinkay District is a district of Zabul Province, Afghanistan....
, to talk with the village elders about access to clean water and other basic needs under Canada's area of responsibility. After the soldiers removed their helmets, a common practice and show of respect, Abdul Kareem (or Abdullah Karim), a sixteen-year old boy, almost split Greene's brain in half by hitting him with an axe. Kareem tried to hit again but was instantly shot and killed by other members of the platoon. The platoon then came under heavy fire while waiting for a US Army medical evacuation
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
helicopter. Greene received care on the helicopter, and medic Gary Adams was able to unblock his airway. Greene was transported to the then Canadian-led hospital at Kandahar Air Field where he was stabilized.
He was later evacuated to the Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from which he was transferred to the Landstuhl
Landstuhl
Landstuhl , literally translating as "country-throne", is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and is home to the Sickinger Schloss, a small castle. It is situated on the north-western edge...
Regional Medical Center
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center is an overseas military hospital operated by the United States Army and the Department of Defense. LRMC is the largest military hospital outside of the continental United States. It is located near Landstuhl, Germany, and serves as the nearest treatment center...
, the largest US Army medical facility outside the continental United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. There, he underwent further surgery to allow his brain to swell without causing further damages.
Shortly after being stabilized, Trevor Greene was transferred from Landstuhl to the Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver General Hospital is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest facility in the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre group of medical facilities...
, where doctors initially thought he would never come out of his coma. Greene underwent two bilateral cranioplasties
Cranioplasty
Cranioplasty is a surgical repair of a defect or deformity of a skull. Cranioplasty is almost as ancient as trepanation. There is evidence that Incan surgeons were performing cranioplasty using precious metals and gourds...
, with the second one successfully repairing his skull. He was also subject to physiotherapy sessions, which were lacking results at first. Greene was then released from the hospital and was transferred to a private-care rehabilitation center in Langley
Langley, British Columbia (city)
The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...
, BC. On April 30, Trevor Greene started speech therapy sessions.
In July 2007, Greene was admitted to the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury in Ponoka
Ponoka, Alberta
Ponoka is a town in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the south/central parkland region of rolling hills. Industries are agriculture , and oil and gas production...
, 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...
, for long-term care and rehabilitation.
At that stage, he had made slow but significant progress, and was able to open and close his hands, among other things.
In December 2007, Canadian Forces engineers installed a lift at Lepore's residence in Alberta, which allowed Trevor to come home for Christmas and on week-ends. Around the same time, they also received a wheelchair accessible van from the then-new Military Casualty Support Foundation.
In September 2008, Greene moved to Nanaimo, BC, with his wife and daughter, after spending 14 months at the Alberta facility. , Trevor Greene is now able to stand, but still cannot walk.
Documentary
Trevor Greene was the subject of the documentary « Peace Warrior », by filmmaker Sue Rideout, and produced by CTVCTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia , was one of Canada's largest private media companies. Its operations include newspaper publishing , television broadcasting and production , radio broadcasting , and their respective Internet properties.Originally established by BCE and the Thomson family in 2001 combining CTV Inc.,...
. The documentary was narrated by Eric McCormack
Eric McCormack
Eric James McCormack is a Canadian American actor, musician, writer and producer. Born in Toronto, he began his acting career performing in school plays at Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute High School...
.
Publications
- Trevor Greene : Bad Date: The Lost Girls of Vancouver's Low Track, ECW Press (October 1, 2001) ISBN 978-1-55022-474-0
- Shane Gibson, Trevor Greene : Closing Bigger - the Field Guide to Closing Bigger Deals, Knowledge Brokers International (October 15, 2005) ISBN 978-0-9738174-0-9
See also
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
- Sacrifice MedalSacrifice MedalThe Sacrifice Medal is a decoration that was created in 2008 as a replacement for the Wound Stripe, being gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council, to members of the Canadian Forces or allied forces who were wounded or killed in action.-Design:The Sacrifice...
- War in Afghanistan