For Andrew Gough, asking for help is a sign of true strength, and not an admission of weakness.
The retired Canadian Armed Forces captain received the Sacrifice Medal for injuries sustained by hostile action/act of terrorism while deployed as a close protection operator in Tripoli, Libya, during Operation LOBE in 2014.
The mission was undertaken to evacuate Canadian diplomats from the embassy in Tripoli to safety in Tunisia.
Those injuries, along with a career of being exposed to and involved in dangerous and traumatic situations, led to his diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Injury in 2015.
He retired as a Sergeant with the London Police Service in 2019.
He was named the 2019 Canadian Mental Health Association Middlesex “Champion of Mental Health” for his work and openness to share his story of injury and recovery as an emergency services member.
The St. Thomas resident (pictured on the left with Tony Bendel from Lord Elgin Branch 41, Royal Canadian Legion) participated on Tuesday in the Service of Remembrance at St. Joseph’s High School.
Gough is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion in London and chair of the London Remembrance Day Parade.
He admitted, “There’s quite a gamut of emotions that roll around this time of year.”
Gough stresses that Remembrance Day is not about war; it is about peace and never forgetting.
In 2019, he took part in a campaign within the London Police Service that challenged the stigma of mental health challenges. The Stronger Than You Know campaign shared his and others’ stories of mental health struggles to combat the idea that these challenges are a sign of weakness.
That same year, he started his own not-for-profit organization. The goal is to be the hero our heroes need.
Veterans and Everyday Heroes (V-EH!) performs acts of kindness for veterans and first responders in need of support to achieve or maintain mental and physical wellness.
Those everyday heroes are correctional officers, peace/police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, 9-1-1 operators and members of the military; those committed to serving their communities and Canadians.
At an average price of $30,000 per service dog.
V-EH! received the “Champion of Change” award from Canada Beyond The Blue in 2022. And Gough was recently awarded the Minister of Veteran Affairs Commendation, the Police Association of Ontario’s Police Hero of the Year award (2024) and His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation Medal (2025).
To learn more about Veterans and Everyday Heroes, visit https://v-eh.ca
Written by Ian McCallum
