Posted on 11/11/2007 4:45:32 PM PST by Clive
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The families of five Canadian soldiers completed a pilgrimage of sorts Sunday, taking part in a Remembrance Day ceremony in the barren and dangerous country where their loved ones lost their lives in the war against the Taliban.
The cenotaph inside the Canadian compound at Kandahar Air Field contains the names and portraits of the 71 Canadian soldiers who have lost their lives since the mission in Afghanistan began five years ago.
Fresh green wreaths, with the word "Canada" and bright red poppies, were placed by their families beside their names on the cenotaph.
Lincoln Dinning and his wife Laurie paused in front of the portrait of their son Matthew, who at age 23, was killed by a roadside bomb north of Kandahar city.
He leaned forward, kissed his finger and placed it on the portrait of his son in a show of love and respect.
Gaetan Dallaire, of Calgary, who travelled alone to this land 11,000 kilometres from home, looked longingly at the picture of his 22-year-old son Kevin, who was killed in a skirmish with the Taliban near Kandahar city in April of last year.
"Merci" he said softly, bowing in turn to the assembled soldiers standing on either side.
Throngs of Canadian and Afghan soldiers stood at rapt attention during the ceremony - saluting during the Canadian and Afghan national anthems and then holding their hats over their hearts during the playing of "The Last Post" and "Reveille."
A red-coated Mountie, standing with his head bowed and holding a Canadian rifle with its muzzle pointed down, added a bright splash of colour to the surroundings of khaki, sand and dust.
"We're here to honour the courage, heroism and self-sacrifice of brave soldiers, sailors and air personnel who gave up their dreams and ambitions by laying down their life to defend the right for freedom," said Maj. Pierre Bergeron, the military padre.
The five families flew into Kandahar Air Field on Saturday, aboard a C-130 Hercules aircraft - the same type of plane that transported the soldiers to Kandahar and then, on a sadder note, brought their bodies back to Canada.
The group also included the parents of Cpl. Christopher Reid, 34, from Truro, Nova Scotia, who died when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb, the parents of Cpl. Jason Warren, 29, of Montreal who died after his vehicle was hit by a suicide bomber, and the widow of Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard of Bathurst, N.B. who died almost a year ago when a suicide bomber drove his vehicle into a military convoy near Kandahar city.
It was the opportunity of coming to the place where their loved ones perished that drew them here.
"We've been wanting to come ever since our son died," said Debbie Warren of Montreal. "He died here. His last breath was taken in this country.
"He gave his life for the people of this country and we wanted to walk those few steps or be as close to it as possible."
"The dead aren't there anymore, but there's something very special to be present where your loved one was last," added her husband Gerry Warren. "Families like to go to remember that last moment.
"This is where he was. This was his exit door. And that's why we're here."
The families had the opportunity to tour the air field and to visit with other soldiers. For Debbie Warren, there was one thing she needed to do before she could return home.
"I'm going to pick up a couple of rocks, bring some sand and I'm going to put it in a special place that I can dip my fingers in it and get a feel of his last days," she said softly.
Retracing final steps was a recurring theme among the families.
"It gives me the opportunity to show the troops that we do support them and we do care about them and in my mind that's a big thing," said Dallaire, a former military technician. "This was the place that my son lived his last days and it gives me an opportunity to see the environment and possibly reminisce about the things he might have done.
"I just wanted to see where Kevin was and where he lived."
Dinning spoke briefly at the conclusion of the memorial service on behalf of the other family members. He urged the gathered soldiers to complete the mission his son and the others who lost their lives had begun.
"We support you and the mission 100 per cent, come home safe and from our family to you and yours, a great big thank you," said Dinning, from Richmond Hill, Ont., his voice cracking.
The sentiment was welcomed by several of the soldiers who waited to shake hands with members of the families.
"They've been part of the family since the beginning and being here in theatre brings it a lot closer to everyone. So just them coming here is a good feeling. It brings back good memories and it's a good way to connect with the families," said Cpl. Laurent Belanger.
The service was attended by Kandahar governor Assadullah Khalid, who met privately with the visitors before the ceremony and placed a wreath with "Afghanistan" written on it in honour of the Afghan soldiers and police officers who have died in the past year.
"It's a good day because we have the family members of the people who died for peace, stability and freedom to secure the human life in the war," said Khalid.
"As an Afghan I know how difficult it is to lose one of the family members. My family is a victim of this war too."
Earlier this year Khalid escaped an assassination attempt. He was targeted by a suicide bomber in which his motorcade was destroyed but he survived with only minor injuries.
Jacqueline Girouard (left) prepares to lay a wreath at Kandahar Air Field, Sunday, in memory of her husband, Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, who was killed in Afghanistan a year ago.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland
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John was born in 1872 and raised in Guelph, Ontario and is remembered as one of Guelph's most famous sons.
McCrae was more than a poet, and was in fact a doctor, soldier, author and artist. The paternal grandparents of John McCrae, Thomas and Jean (nee Campbell) emigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1849 and settled in Guelph. Their son David married Janet Eckford and they had three children; Thomas (1870), John (1872) and Geills (1878). John's early education was received in Guelph, first at Central Public School and subsequently at Guelph Collegiate Institute.
More at The Story of John McCrae but patriotic Canadians know all this, don't they?
When I was little, they used to sell poppy flowers for Veterans’ Day.
The VFW still does in Arizona and mine is on my shirt collar evan as I type. Surprised you haven’t seen them out and about in Kansas.
Note the poppy worn by Jacqueline Girouard and the two soldiers in the background in the picture in my Reply 1.
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