Teammates.
The word teammate is defined in the dictionary as being the member of a team.
In sports, a good teammate is defined as someone who comes to the aid of another without ever being asked.
There are numerous examples in the National Hockey League of guys taking on someone twice their size because they felt an obligation to come to the defence of one of their teammates.
In war however, sometimes the word teammate takes on a whole new meaning.
The brave men who strapped themselves into the Royal Canadian Air Force’s mighty Lancaster bomber every night during the Second World War were the ultimate teammates.
They were a band of brothers who would often risk life and limb to come to the aid of a buddy in need.
Not long after D-Day, in June of 1944, a group of young Canadians from 419 “Moose” squadron climbed into their Lancaster for a dangerous night mission over enemy territory. During the mission, one particular Lancaster was being ripped apart from cannon fire from a German JU-88 night fighter. The pilot ordered the crew of his burning bomber to bail out.
With the heavy, bomb laden, Lancaster falling from the sky, survival was foremost on everyone’s mind, except for mid upper machine gunner Andy Mynarski. Instead of bailing out, the Winnipeg native realized his best friend, tail gunner Pat Brophy, was in deep trouble.
Sometimes being a good teammate means risking injury to help another.
Crawling through burning hydraulic fluid, Mynarski ignored the grave danger all around him to get to Brophy. At this point, Mynarksi’s legs were on fire, yet he still tried everything he could to free the trapped Brophy from his tail gunners turret.
Finally, Mynarki had no choice but to give up.
By some miracle, Brophy survived, but the fire had damaged Mynarksi’s parachute and he plunged to the ground and died.
After the war, Brophy said that Mynarski ignored his burning flight suit in an attempt to rescue him, snapped him a perfect salute, and said good night before bailing out.
In honour of this true teammate, and in honour of making the supreme sacrifice for his best friend, Winnipeg’s Andy Mynarksi was awarded the Victoria Cross, Canada’s highest medal for valour in battle.
As you read this, there are a group of young Canadian men and women putting their lives on the line in Afghanistan.
Each and every one of them are this Nation’s ultimate teammates, willing to do whatever it takes to help one another without ever being asked.
It’s just what teammates do.
Lest We Forget.