Citing their courage and dedication, Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson awarded 34 medals to Canadians soldiers Friday for their role in the war on terrorism.

The South-West Asia Service Medal and bar was handed out during a ceremony at Rideau Hall to some of the personnel who served with Canadian or allied forces outside Canada.

Four of the medals were awarded posthumously to the family members of Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith, the soldiers mistakenly killed by American fighter pilots in April.

"As a Canadian I am grateful for your service, your devotion to duty," Clarkson said. "As commander and chief of the Canadian forces, I am extremely proud of you. As governor general, on behalf of all Canadians, I say that you have honoured the country whose people you served. And I say thank you, merci."

Lt.-Col. John David Mitchell, who served at National Defence headquarters and received the medal, was grateful but humble about the honour.

"For me, clearly it's a day of pride because we are recognizing six months of service for our country. But it's also just what we consider to be doing our job," Mitchell told CTV.

Capt. Jeff Peck, a soldier with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, A Company, said fighting in Afghanistan was "an experience."

It was "something I'm glad I've done, but I won't lie and I'm glad I'm home now as well," Peck said.

The medal, created shortly after Sept. 11, is a circular silver medal, 36 mm in diameter and suspended from a four-colour ribbon.

One side depicts the Queen while on the back is a Hydra, a multi-headed creature of Greek mythology, transfixed by a Canadian sword. A silver bar appears across the ribbon with the word "Afghanistan" signifying the theatre of operation.

Nearly 7,000 Canadians were eligible to receive the award.

The other recipients were:

• CWO Miles Leslie Barham
• MS Brent Garrett Bethell
• MS Stephen Franklin Birks
• 2nd Cpl. Wallace Francis Brake
• MS Terrence Eric Chubbs
• Cpl. Lesley Alma Cooper
• Cpl. Stephen Joseph de Montbrun
• LS Annette Noelle Gaucher
• Mas.-Cpl. Joseph Gerard Glynn
• OS Julie M. Greer
• 1st PO Denysa Larocque
• MS Sean D. Lothian
• Sgt. Carol Lynn McCrea
• Lt.-Col John David Mitchell
• Lt.Cmdr. Robert David Monahan
• Capt. Jeffrey Alexander Peck
• Wo Jordan Trent Rasmussen
• Cmdr. Drew Robertson
• LS Troy J. Rutschka
• Mas.-Cpl. Éric Joseph Normand Savard
• Lt.-Col Gordon L. Smith
• Lt.-Col Pat Stogran
• Cmdr. Jean-Pierre Thiffault
• Sgt. James Alan Trask
• CWO Joseph Raymond Jean-Guy Trudel
• Cpl. Randolph Turner
• 2nd PO David Sydney Tobias
• Mas.-Cpl. Mark Alexander Vonkalben
• Lt.-Cmdr. Mark Edward White
• WO William Joseph Woodford