Richard Green
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Canadian Private Richard Green (May 26 1980-April 17 2002) was killed in Afghanistan when two U.S. planes dropped an unauthorized laser-guided bomb on the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The infantry was participating in a training exercise which involved firing anti-tank and machine-gun rounds.
On September 11, 2002, the U.S. pilots, Majors Harry Schmidt and William Umbach were officially charged with 4 counts of negligent manslaughter, 8 counts of aggravated assault, and 1 count of dereliction of duty. On July 6, 2004 U.S. Lt.-Gen. Bruce Carlson found Schmidt guilty of dereliction of duty. Lt.-Gen. Carlson issued a letter of reprimand for his leadership failures to Umbach, who has retired from the U.S. Air Force.
Green's mother, Doreen Coolen, was chosen by the Royal Canadian Legion to be the Silver Cross Mother for the Remembrance Day ceremony in 2002. In February of 2003, she filed a wrongful death claim against the U.S. government. Her claim argued the pilots acted recklessly when they dropped the 225-kilogram bomb.
However, lawyers representing Coolen were informed by the United States that, under the Foreign Claims Act in the U.S., Afghan legal codes would have to be applied in the case against the U.S. government.
Green was born in Edmonton, Alberta in 1980 and grew up in Mill Cove, Nova Scotia. Green joined the Canadian Army in September 1998. He was 21 when he died. He had previously served on a peace keeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
See also:
Sgt. Marc Léger
Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer
Pvt. Nathan Smith
Richard Green 11th April 1964- United Kingdom
Richard Green is often asked when giving his name oner the phone if it has an "e" on the end, this is because there was also an actor called Richard Greene who played Robin Hood on TV in the 1950's