We were asked to review a number of photographic images of former Master Corporal Kenneth (AKA”Ranger Ken”) Arthur POITRAS CD who resides in the Winnipeg, Manitoba area.
Our review identified a number of inconsistencies in his medallic display and, when combined with his confusing claims of service, that gave us cause to question his entire military narrative.
Our team conducted a thorough review of all available records, this included websites, newspaper articles, photographic images, regimental tour books, searchable data bases of medal recipients and extracts from military documents in Canada and in the United States in order to determine the legitimacy of his claims.
When recently questioned by a retired senior PPCLI Officer who is actually a US Army RANGER, this was Poitras’ response…
Poitras wearing a maroon beret next to the mural dedicated to a true PPCLI hero!
SV-C then reached out to the regimental associations, their museums and other organizations in which Poitras has claimed to have served. The publicly accessible records, that we have had the opportunity to review, did not support his claims. That being said, the absence of verifiable records alone does not conclusively prove that an individual is a fake or embellisher, it just indicates that there are no records…
Our next step, we contacted Mr Poitras on 5 May 2019 and provided him the opportunity to sort out the reported situation.
In this image, sent to SVC by Mr Poitras on 7 May 2019, shows the medal group and jump wings he routinely wore at military themed events.
*Special Service Medal (NATO/OTAN),
*Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal,
*U.N. service medals (6) – India/Pakistan, Cyprus, Golan Heights, Lebanon, Namibia, and Angola,
*International Commission of Control Supervision (Vietnam),
*Multinational Force of Observers (Sinai), and
*Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal (1977).
He separated the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD), his sole legitimate medal from this group on our request.
Recorded history and simple arithmetic caused us to raise a number of red flags in regards to Mr Poitras’ medal group.
India/Pakistan- UNMOGIP (1948-1979) and UNIPOM (1965-1966). These two missions used the identical medal ribbon. CF participation was limited to military observers, all officers, and RCAF aircrew.
Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal (1977) The names of PPCLI recipients of this medal are recorded in the regimental journal. There are no 21 year old Private soldiers with broken service listed…
Lebanon-UNIFIL (1978) only 117 CF members received this medal and their names are known to SVC. Of note, this medal was also worn fraudulently by a convicted valour thief / senior officer.
Angola-UNAVEM II (1991-95) Canadian participation in this mission was limited to a total of 60 military observers, all officers.
Vietnam-International Commission of Control Supervision (1973) – 14 PPCLI Officers served on this mission that predates Poitras’ enrolment by almost 2 years!
SO, what we do know…
Former Master Corporal Kenneth Arthur POITRAS was an Infantryman in the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He served in both the 2nd & 3rd Battalions of PPCLI between 1975 and 1983. Poitras was selected for and attended basic parachutist training at the Canadian Airborne Centre in Edmonton in the Spring of 1977, he failed to complete the course.
There is absolutely no record of him attending the US Army’s RANGER qualification course although he claimed to have been a trainee on Class 2 of 1976.
Was he honouring a friend by wearing the RANGER garb?
He continued to serve in the 3rd Bn PPCLI at Work Point Barracks until he applied remuster to Mobile Support Equipment Operator. Poitras then served at a number of Air Force bases until he retired from the CF in 1991.
By surrendering the bogus medals and wings, former Master Corporal Kenneth A Poitras CD confirms that he didn’t serve overseas in any capacity and had had no lawful entitlement to the wear the items.
Lest We Forget.