Existing comment:
The Devil's Brigade
The first modern example of cooperation and coordination between Canadian and American armed forces came during World War II, when the 1st Special Service Force was created with both nations' troops. Known as the Devil's Brigade, the joint unit was made up of elite soldiers trained for the most daring and dangerous missions of that conflict.
Headquartered at Fort Harrison in Helena, Montana, the unit's missions were often considered suicidal, but were carried out with a no-fail mandate between 1942 and 1944. Modern--day special operations forces, including Joint Task Force 2 and the US Navy Seals can trace their roots to the 1st Special Service Force.
To ensure that the sacrifices of this joint Canadian and American unit were honoured and remembered, in February 2012 the Embassy invited lawmakers from Canada and the United States as well as members of the original Brigade to an event to raise awareness about the 1st Special Service Force. This event, as well as the Embassy's support of Senator Max Baucus' bill seeking recognition of the Devil's Brigade by Congress resulted in the unit being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on July 12, 2013. |