Lost medal of Afghanistan veteran returned to family after nearly 15 years

Nearly 15 years after it vanished, a medal belonging to a Windsor, Ont. soldier, who served in Afghanistan has been returned to his family.

Nearly 15 years after it disappeared, a medal awarded to a Windsor, Ont. soldier who served in Afghanistan has been returned to his family.

Veterans, family members, and community supporters gathered Sunday at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 644 on Marentette Avenue as the medal belonging to Trooper Stefan Jankowski — a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons — was formally presented back to his loved ones.

Jankowski died in July 2011 at the age of 25, shortly after leaving the military. His family said he struggled with post-traumatic stress following his deployment to Afghanistan and died from an accidental overdose.

The medal had been missing since shortly after Jankowski’s funeral in 2011 — until recently when it was found by Kyle Scott, a fellow Afghanistan veteran who runs an organization focused on recovering lost or missing medals and bringing them back to their loved ones.

Retired Master Cpl. Hunter Kersey, who served with Jankowski for nearly two and a half years, said the pair were awarded their medals during an eight-month deployment to Afghanistan.

But when it came time to bury his friend, Jankowski’s medal was missing from the breast pocket of his dress uniform — where it was expected to be.

“For us to find that medal in Canada, and for somebody to come into that medal and return it, it warms my heart,” said Kersey.

The ceremony included the return of the original medal to Jankowski’s daughter Destiny, along with replica medals for other family members so they could each keep a piece of his legacy.

Kersey told those gathered the soldier he trained and deployed with should be remembered not for how his life ended, but for how he lived.

“He was a very good soldier,” Kersey said.

“His physical fitness was beyond reproach. The man had a future career, either within the Olympics or special operations.”

Kersey said he and others spent years searching for the missing medal — contacting pawn shops across southern Ontario — but were never able to locate it.

“It has been 14 years, seven months, and 26 days since we’ve known that that medal has been missing,” he said.

Kersey also reflected on the lasting impact of combat on soldiers long after they return home.

“I will always consider him, along with our other comrades who have since died, as tragedies and victims of Afghanistan. They may not be recorded in the official numbers, but they are casualties of the war,” said Kersey.

“Sometimes, the war follows you home. For those of us in this room who have been in those scenarios, you know exactly what I speak of.”

Retired Lt.-Col. Mark Popov, who served with Jankowski during an eight-month deployment in Kandahar province, said the soldier earned the respect of those around him.

“You can tell by the qualifications he earned and the skills and the trust that we placed in him, he was a valued member of our team,” Popov said.

Retired Cpl. Kathy Nayduk, who trained with Jankowski during their early military careers, remembered his supportive personality during their time in training.

“I’m not a good runner. Stef was a much better runner than me,” she said.

“During PT I would get in trouble for being the slowest runner, so he would push me in my back just to keep me going so I wouldn’t get in trouble.”

“He was always there to help whenever you were needed,” Nayduk added.

Jankowski’s mother, Georgina Duguay, said her son dreamed of serving in the military from a young age.

“When he was four years old, his one thing was, ‘I’m going to be in the military,’” she said.

“I was proud of him. I’m just so happy that everybody came together today.”

For Jankowski’s daughters — Destiny Timothy-Jankowski, 22, and Alexsis Timothy-J, 18 — the ceremony was an opportunity to ensure their father is remembered not for the tragedy of his death, but for his service and the honour surrounding it.

“It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, but overall, I’m filled with pride,” Destiny said.

“It’s wonderful to hear these stories and know that his spirit still lives on. His legacy never ended. He’s still here and impacting so many people to this day.”

Alexsis said hearing stories about her father from the people who served with him helped fill in memories she never had the chance to make.

“I don’t really have much memory of my dad,” said Alexsis, who was just a toddler when her father died.

“It’s like a type of closure.”

Jankowski, who was from Windsor, joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2007. After completing basic training in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, he attended the Armour School at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick before being posted to CFB Petawawa with the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as part of Canada’s mission in Kandahar province, working on reconnaissance and surveillance operations supporting coalition forces.

His uniform displayed during Sunday’s ceremony showed several qualifications earned during his training and service, including expert marksman certification and Tactical Combat Casualty Care training.

The Royal Canadian Dragoons, established in 1883, are one of the Canadian Army’s oldest regular force regiments.

Originally a cavalry unit, the regiment now serves as an armoured reconnaissance force responsible for surveillance, intelligence gathering, and security operations in support of larger combat units.

Members of the regiment have served in conflicts and international missions for more than a century, including the Second World War, peacekeeping operations, and Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan.