Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: September 7, 2006
• Invested on: June 15, 2007

Charles François Pelletier, M.B., C.D.
Medal of Bravery

On May 27, 2004, Charles Pelletier, then a volunteer with the United Nations in Bukavu, Congo, spearheaded the evacuation of 42 people from the Orchid Hotel during gun battles between rebels and the Congolese army. When the armed troops moved closer to the hotel compound, Mr. Pelletier assembled the occupants and instructed them to take refuge on the lower floor of the lobby, which afforded more protection from mortar rounds and machine-gun fire. Acting as a human shield, he then repeatedly exposed himself to gunfire as he escorted the fleeing hotel occupants, in groups of 10, across the open courtyard to armoured personnel carriers. Thanks to Mr. Pelletier's efforts, the group escaped the riots and safely reached the UN compound, one kilometre away.