About this episode

The episode discusses Jess LaRochelle's heroic actions in Afghanistan and the campaign led by Bruce Moncour to award him the Victoria Cross.

In October of 2006 Jess Larochelle from Ontario was guarding an observation post near the Afghanistan village of Pashmul when dozens of Taliban insurgents attacked Jess’ position. The ensuing battle is almost unbelievable in what Jess did and how he did it. Bruce Moncour is a veteran of Afghanistan and for years has been leading the charge, through his organization Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, to get Larochelle awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest medal for bravery in the Canadian military. Recently Bruce’s organization has celebrated a couple major victories that are getting him and his organization ever closer to that ultimate goal. Bruce Moncur is a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, advocate, and grade 5 teacher. In 2006, he deployed to Afghanistan with the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment and fought in Operation Medusa, the largest Canadian-led battle since the Korean War, where he was seriously injured in a friendly-fire incident. After a long recovery, he became a leading voice for veterans’ rights. He is the founder of Valour in the Presence of the Enemy David O’Keefe is one of the most engaging voices on Canada’s Second World War story, in the classroom, on…

People in this episode

Host: David Borys

Guest: Bruce Moncour

Topics covered

• military history
• bravery
• veterans' rights
• Canada
• Victoria Cross
• Afghanistan

Keywords

• Victoria Cross
• Jess LaRochelle
• Bruce Moncour
• Afghanistan
• military bravery
• Canadian Armed Forces
• veterans' advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Valour in the Presence of the Enemy

Books & works: One Day in August, Seven Days in Hell, Missing Presumed Dead

Places: Ontario, Afghanistan

More episodes of Curious Canadian History

• Summer Reboot - The Pig War of 1859 · July 21, 2026 · 15 min
• S11E22 Canada's Pacific Station - A History of Esquimalt Naval Harbour Part 2 · July 14, 2026 · 30 min
• S11E21 Canada's Pacific Station - A History of Esquimalt Naval Harbour Part 1 · July 7, 2026 · 37 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Curious Canadian History podcast page.