Bodies of 3 soldiers who died in Afghan attack en route to Canada
Soldiers say goodbye to Cpl. Andrew Grenon, Cpl. Mike Seggie and Pte. Chad Horn at a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield on Thursday. (Marc Robichaud/CBC)
Teary-eyed pallbearers carried the caskets of three young Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan onto a plane bound for home on Thursday.
Thousands of soldiers lined the tarmac at Kandahar Airfield to say goodbye to Cpl. Andrew Grenon, Cpl. Mike Seggie and Pte. Chad Horn, killed in an ambush Wednesday, just weeks before they were to return home.
As we prepare to carry our dear friends home, let us remember the joy and zeal that these men poured into this mission, said Capt. Darren Persaud, the Canadian Forces battle group chaplain.
It is now our job to ensure that the torch they carried is securely passed on. May God give us the strength to finish the race well, so that the people of Afghanistan may live in peace.
After the ceremony, Pte. Glen Kirkland, one of five soldiers injured in the attack, carefully lifted himself out of a wheelchair and slowly made his way up the ramp to say his final farewell.
As you may have read or seen on the news Cpl Andrew Grenon 23 years old was on his second tour of duty in this volatile land. Twice wounded in 2006 he still found the time and patience to write the following poem about Afghanistan.
A soldier's poem
Grenon had written a poem during his 2006 tour of duty in Afghanistan entitled :
Why We Fight:
I've often asked myself why we are here. Why my government actually agreed to send troops to this God-forsaken place.
There are no natural resources. No oil, gold, or silver. Just people.
People who have been at war for the last 40 plus years. People who want nothing more than their children to be safe. People who will do anything for money; even give their own life.
I look into the eyes of these people. I see hate, destruction and depression. I see love, warmth, kindness and appreciation.
Why do we fight? For in this country, there are monsters. Monsters we could easily fight on a different battlefield, at a different time. Monsters that could easily take the fight to us.
Surrounding these mud walls and huts is a country in turmoil. A country that is unable to rebuild itself. A country that cannot guarantee a bright future for its youth.
Why do we fight? Because, if we don't fight today, on THIS battlefield, then our children will be forced to face these monsters on our own battlefield.
I fight because I'm a soldier.
I fight because I'm ordered.
I fight, so my children won't have to.
The family of Cpl. Andrew Grenon said in a statement Thursday that the 23-year-old was happy and content to be serving with his unit in Afghanistan.
I'll always remember the `heroes' work' you did for our country, added his 14-year-old brother Matthew. I remind (everyone) to keep praying for our forces and for world peace.
In Windsor, Grenon's home town, Mayor Eddie Francis ordered all flags flown at half-mast. St. Joseph's High School, which Grenon attended until December 2002, also honoured him in its morning prayer.
May God bless these men and their families,these soldiers have paid the ultimate price for freedom.
Please be Proud of our troops and smile when you see a soldier at home, maybe even buy him/her a coffee.
Emotional welcome home for Manitoba, Alberta-based soldiers CBC News
A soldier returning from Afghanistan is welcomed home to Edmonton. (CBC)A wave of Canadian troops have returned home from Afghanistan to an emotional welcome, just days after three Canadian soldiers were killed.
Friday morning, about 40 members of the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and Fort Garry Horse reserves in Winnipeg were greeted with tears and hugs from relieved family and friends at the Minto Armoury.
A similar scene greeted about 50 troops at the Edmonton Garrison Thursday evening.
Waiting for the soldiers' arrival in Winnipeg they were a couple of hours late was nothing compared to the last six months for Pierre Gosselin, whose son, Jean Pierre, is a corporal with the Patricias and a roommate of Cpl. Mike Seggie, one of men killed earlier this week in Afghanistan.
The toughest thing was to say goodbye and [wonder] are you going to see him seven months later? Or is he going to come back in a box? he said.
Hearing the news of the deaths earlier this week terrified him, Gosselin said: I said, holy Christ, that could have been my kid. Like, the luck of the draw: Mike stays and you go. 'You want to stay involved'
Cpl. Gordon May is relieved to be back home, but says he also wanted to stay involved in Canada's mission in Afghanistan. (CBC)Cpl. Gordon May, exhausted and ready for home after a long journey, said the work being done by the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan is making a difference.
Travelling throughout the countryside and into the city all the time they say they see the pattern of life is a lot more busy, people are getting back [to normal], he said.
All the markets are a lot busier, so obviously people are noticing the change and feeling safer to come out.
May had mixed feelings about his return.
It's definitely a relief, but you almost don't feel like you don't want to completely drop it and step away and get right back into your life and not think about it again, he said. You want to stay involved in some way if possible. 'Amazing moments'
Cpl. Jason Moldovan holds his three-week-old baby girl Nadia for the first time. (CBC)Meanwhile in Edmonton, it was an especially poignant welcome for Cpl. Jason Moldovan, who got to hold his three-week-old baby girl Nadia for the first time.
Even though I saw photos, it doesn't really sink in until I'm holding her now, Moldovan said.
His wife Christina said she has been counting down the days.
We decided to get pregnant before he left, she said. In my heart I felt like I wanted to have something of him in case something bad would happen, you know. All I wanted is to have him home and it's amazing moments right now.
Moldovan described his six months in Afghanistan as a tough go, but said in spite of the fact 96 Canadian soldiers have been killed he still believes in the mission.
I know that our Canadian troops are working on a dam, and once we get that dam going I'm sure the quality of life will improve for Afghanis. We want to bring electricity to them. It's worth helping these people, he said.
Canada launched its Afghan mission in February 2002, and about 2,500 Canadian soldiers are now serving in the war-torn country, most of them in the volatile south.
Nil sine labore
Robby He firmly believed in Canada's mission in Afghanistan and that he saw the good that was being done there, it said.
