George Miok | |
|---|---|
 George Miok at the Rememberance Day Parade 2008 in Vegreville. | |
| Nickname(s) | Gyuri |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Years of service | 2002-2009 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 41 Combat Engineer Regiment |
| Awards |  Sacrifice Medal(posthumously)30px General Campaign Star (ISAF)  Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia30px South-West Asia Service Medal |
George "Gyuri" Miok (18 May 1981 - 30 December 2009) was a sergeant with 41 CER of the Canadian Forces. He was killed in service in Afghanistan in 2009 when the infantry fighting vehicle which he was commanding[1] drove over an improvised explosive device. He was awarded the Sacrifice Medal (posthumously), Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal, NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia, General Campaign Star (ISAF) and South-West Asia Service Medal. He was also a junior high school teacher in Edmonton, Alberta.
Early life edit
George (or György) was born into a Canadian Hungarian family in Edmonton, his father was Illés Miok (from Senta, Voivodina), his mother was Anna Miok (born Anna Gróf, from Magyarpolány), he had three brothers, Michael, John and László.[2][3][4][5][6] He was not married and did not have children.[7]
He was a teacher, he studied at the University of Alberta.[8] In 2008-2009 he taught religion, math, gym and health to the grade 7 students in the St. Cecilia's Junior High School in Edmonton.[9]
He was a member of the Edmonton Hungarian community and also spoke Hungarian.[10] Because of his Hungarian origins, his death received attention in the Hungarian media.[11]
Military career edit
Miok joined the army at 17 years old.[4] In 2002 he went to Bosnia serving in SFOR.[12] He went to Afghanistan for the first time in 2005, he was a section second in command in Kandahar.[1] For the second time he went to Afghanistan in 2009. He was the member of the 41 Combat Engineer Regiment and he was serving the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.[13] He was the Infantry Section Commander within the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team. [7] In 2009 he and three other Canadian soldiers died, when their armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device four kilometres south of Kandahar City.[14][15][16][17] He was the 135th Canadian soldier who has died in Afghanistan.
He was buried on 9 January 2010 in Edmonton. His family established the George Miok Memorial Scholarship Fund in Miok's memory.[18][19]
See also edit
- Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan
- Michelle Lang, a journalist who was killed with George Miok
References edit
- ^ a b Calgary Herald: Sgt. George Miok was homegrown Alberta hero
- ^ RTL Klub news video
- ^ DunaTV: Egész Edmonton gyászol
- ^ a b George Miok wanted to teach
- ^ Origo: Csárdás-zenekarok várják az elesett kanadai-magyar őrmestert
- ^ Index: Magyar származású az egyik Afganisztánban megölt kanadai
- ^ a b Global Montreal: Slain soldier Miok was torn between the army and teaching
- ^ Gyászolók százai fogadták az Afganisztánban megölt kanadai katonák és újságíró koporsóját
- ^ Edmonton school’s foyer a shrine for fallen soldier
- ^ The Canadian Press: Grieving soldiers send remains of four slain comrades, journalist back home
- ^ Kanadai magyart öltek a tálibok, Blikk.hu, 2010-01-04
- ^ MATT pilot project
- ^ http://www.vancouverite.com/2009/12/31/four-soldiers-named-in-kandahar-carnage/
- ^ Gyászolók százai fogadták az Afganisztánban megölt kanadai katonák és újságíró koporsóját
- ^ National Post: Four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan identified
- ^ HVG: Hazaszállítják a Kandahárnál megölt kanadai magyart
- ^ The Windsor Star: Hundreds line of Highway of Heroes to honour slain soldiers, journalist
- ^ Alberta Sun: Fallen Alberta soldiers return home
- ^ Remembering - George Miok
External links edit
- Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada
- Message of Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, on the occasion of the deaths of four Canadian Soldiers
- Sgt. George Miok wanted to teach
- Repatriation of Sgt. George Miok (video)
- CBC News: Students remember teacher killed in Afghanistan
- National Post: Slain soldier Miok was torn between the army and teaching
- Kanada Világa: Gyászol az edmontoni magyarság is (in Hungarian - with video)
- Origo.hu: Csárdás-zenekarok várják az elesett kanadai-magyar őrmestert (in Hungarian)
- HVG: Hazaszállítják a Kandahárnál megölt kanadai magyart (in Hungarian)
- Magyar Szó: Gyuri elesett Afganisztánban
- RTL Klub news about him (in Hungarian)
Category:1981 births
Category:2009 deaths
Category:Canadian military personnel
Category:People from Edmonton
Category:Canadian military personnel killed in action