Honouring our Heroes

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

RE: Honouring our Heroes ( formerly - I cried tonight)

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

A repatriation ceremony has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, when the remains of Private Tyler William Todd, the latest member of Canada's military, will be returned to Canadian soil.

To the bridges again.

jmont64 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Good for you Ray. It seems like it has at least been a little longer between times this time. If you see Bob there tell him we miss him on here and would be nice if he would be back on the forum. Just my opinion anyhow.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I share you opinion on Bob but support his decision. I almost did the same thing.

jmont64 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

73SC wrote:

I share you opinion on Bob but support his decision. I almost did the same thing.

Did somebody give him the shaft? I didn't know what happened to him. PM me, I'm a little curious.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Here are a few shots from Spanbridge, Toronto today. Pte Todd passed by at 4:33 pm.

-- Edited by 73SC on Wednesday 14th of April 2010 04:25:17 PM

2drpost · Uber Guru

73SC wrote:

I share you opinion on Bob but support his decision. I almost did the same thing.

thanks ray.

BillyGoat73 · Veteran Member

Ray,

I wish you would have said something Wednesday when I was there. I was behind in my forum reading and did not realize this was happening. It would have been an honor for me to stay a little longer to pay tribute to this fallen soldier. Was that the Don Valley where your photos were taken?

I wish the US would do something like this, but they leave it to the hometown folks to bury the fallen. In Buffalo and surrounding area they do line the streets to pay tribute, but not to the scale that the Canadians do.

I'm glad you shared your thoughts and photos.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

My apologies Bill, it would have made a long day for you. Once the police stop the Don Valley at rush hour it takes a long time to clear up. You probably would have gotten home between 7:30 and 8:00 pm.

The cortege passes in about 30 seconds but the build up takes about 10 minutes from the time the traffic stops and advance motormen appear and clear the highway.

It is something to see in person though. On Wednesday it was a very friendly procession. Everyone in the limousines and even the hearse below was waving and police vehicles blipping the sirens. These are the times we know how much our attendance on the bridge means and usually the times I get choked up, like I did on Wednesday.

Stephenzone · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

i had to work wednesday, but my wife and son made it to the bridge.

Addicted!

Living in B.C. I really thank you for the pics. As it is not possible to there in person. As a former member of the Canadian military , I am extremly grateful to these Men andWomen who have chosen to enlist ,knowing full well it could cost them thier lives. In my opinion everyone who takes the oath is a hero ,bar none. It is great to see the support for the fallens families in thier time of grief.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan A Canadian Forces sailor has died in a Taliban bomb blast virtually at the doorstep of Canada's front-line base, bringing to 143 the number of Canadian troops killed in the Afghan war. Two other Canadian soldiers were injured, one very seriously, in the improvised-explosive device (IED) attack.

Petty Officer Second Class Craig Blake had been on foot with other members of his explosives-disposal team around 4:30 p.m. Monday May 3rd, a few hundred metres from the gate of the Sperwan Ghar base in Panjwaii district. Blast investigators determined that the IED was "command detonated," meaning it was set off by a watching insurgent. Blake was the fifth Canadian soldier to be killed this year.

Blake, 37, of Simcoe, Ont., arrived in Afghanistan last month for his first tour of duty in the country.

As an explosives-disposal operator, he was tasked with defusing IEDs.

"At the time of his death, he and his team were returning to camp after a successful IED disposal near the village of Paye-e-Maluk," Canadian Forces Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard said Tuesday.

A competitive triathlete and pee wee hockey coach, Blake was a married father of two.

"Craig was a family man who was often heard telling glowing, heart-felt stories about his wife and two sons," Menard said.

Although Blake was a navy diver serving with the Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic in Halifax, "he effortlessly adapted to the rigours of land operations," Menard said, adding that Blake, the first Canadian sailor to die in Afghanistan, was "incredibly fit, with a backbone of steel."

Blake's fellow soldiers dubbed him "The Poker Pirate" for his skill in card games, Menard said.

-- Edited by 73SC on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 08:21:26 PM

North65Cat · Member

i would like to send a really big thank you for you guys and family members,who make it to the brides to honor those heros,as i am in alberta,no chance for me to see first hand but from the posting in the web,this site first most,i am able to feel the honor,(tears)i have the chance to see the best part,the heros coming home,97 st edmonton is line with people,everytime they come home,every post,tree,fence panel,even car door handles are wrap in yellow ribbon,gentlemen,i have family members over there at this present time,e-mail and sattile phone keeps me from worrying too much.but still worry.i was surpriced to find such a post,thank you very much again.vance,st.albert,alberta,65 pontiac conv.newbie,,

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

On Thursday I was not able to go as my daughter was having eye surgery and I was at the hospital at precisiely the time the cortege arrived downtown. I had really wanted to attend seeing that my father, who recently passed away, did convoy duty during WWII on Corvettes and we have always felt a strong bond to the Navy.

North65Cat, it is very emotional to stand on a bridge, and eerily calm and quiet, perhaps moreso when the largest City in the land takes pause, albeit for just a few short moments, yet we do it each time. In a City of traffic chaos I have yet to hear a single complaint when the cortege rolls through, rather the rush hour traffic reporters let everyone know of the motorcade's progress so those who can may pay their respects.

North65Cat · Member

i have been on that highway,i used to live in St.Cath.,,St.Kitts as we know it.last time out east,jan.2008.my family members are in the navy,(ships top doctor,fifth tour)and navi.sec.petty officer.(radar,commuations,etc.second tour),in the army,PPCLI (field medic,first tour),and one more still in training,but ready to be deployed,as he(Frank) would say,and one that made it back,so far,Master Cpl.Terry Moser,PPCLI,Edmonton.

-- Edited by North65Cat on Sunday 9th of May 2010 02:40:11 AM

-- Edited by North65Cat on Sunday 9th of May 2010 02:44:51 AM

Stephenzone · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

kyle and i made it with minutes to spare.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

My son Ryan and I paid our respects today, Pte. Kevin McKay's body passed by the Wynford Drive Bridge in Toronto at 4:45 pm today.

McKay, from the Edmonton-based 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, died in an IED blast about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city last Thursday. He had two days left to his first deployment in Afghanistan before heading home.

The fallen soldier, native of Richmond Hill ON, was on a foot patrol in the Panjwaii district village of Nakhonay at the time of the explosion.

McKay is the sixth Canadian Forces member to die in Afghanistan this year and the 144th killed as part of the Afghan mission since it began in 2002.

The fallen soldier is the son of veteran Toronto Fire Capt. Fred McKay.

A sea of firefighters flooded the streets of Toronto Sunday as the son of one of their own was brought home.

Last Friday, Col. Simon Hetherington, the deputy commander of Task Force Kandahar, said McKay embodied the gritty spirit of the typical Canadian soldier.

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A look along the bridge waiting for cortege about 20 minutes away.

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True North Strong and Free

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Even 4 legged Canadians came along today

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First advance motorman

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Another Motorman clears the highway, stealth interceptor watches from off ramp entrance

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Cortege appears

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Governor General leads the way....as usual...

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Hearse of Pte. McKay

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Support vehicles

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Toronto's finest pace the busy Sunday traffic behind.

-- Edited by 73SC on Sunday 16th of May 2010 06:50:45 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

You'll know what I mean Ray when I say I hate seeing this thread bumped back up to the top of the list.

Thanks for being there for those of us who can't.

2drpost · Uber Guru

thank you ray.

and thanks for contiuning bob's work.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Keeping the thread current, missed a few in the past two weeks

Col. Geoff Parker, 42, born and raised in Oakville, Ont., was killed when a Taliban suicide car bomb targeted a NATO convoy in Kabul, May 18, 2010

Col. Geoff Parker, 42, born and raised in Oakville, became the 145th soldier to die since the mission began in 2002 and the seventh this year. He leaves a wife and two young children and by the accounts of his many peers in Kandahar a career of limitless potential.

Parker was among at least 18 killed, including five U.S. soldiers, as the blast tore through a main thoroughfare on Kabuls Western edge.

The apparent target, a convoy of five unmarked SUVs in which Parker and the Americans were riding. But Afghans bore the brunt of the rush-hour attack, which shredded as many as 20 vehicles, killed a dozen civilians and wounding scores more.

Geoff was well known, highly respected and considered a best friend by countless army officers and soldiers across Canada, said Col. Simon Hetherington, Deputy Commander of Task Force Kandahar, who knew Parker personally.

The post he was preparing to fill was important and of such high-profile he was hand-picked from across the army to do so. A rising star, his potential was undeniable.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Trooper Larry Rudd was killed by an IED on Monday. The Brantford, Ont. native is the 146th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan since 2002.

Trooper Larry Rudd of the Royal Canadian Dragoons -- who was described Monday as a gentle giant -- became the 146th Canadian to die in Afghanistan and the fourth from southern Ontario to be killed here this month.

The Brantford, Ont., native, whose squadron was in the first weeks of its seven month tour in Afghanistan, died early Monday afternoon when the armoured vehicle he was travelling in struck a makeshift landmine during a combat resupply of other Canadian troops in Panjwaii District -- southwest of Kandahar City.

Trooper Rudd will be remembered by those who served alongside him as a professional soldier who never complained regardless of the hardships he and his crew endured, Col. Simon Hetherington, deputy commander of Canadas Task Force Kandahar, said.

He was dynamic and motivated, generous and outgoing. He was the type of man soldiers of all ranks would look to for friendship.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Sergeant Martin Goudreault, 35, was killed by an IED blast on June 6, 2010. He is the 147th Canadian to die in the Afghan mission since 2002.

Sergeant Martin Gouldreault, 35, was killed early Sunday morning in Panjwaii District, in Afghanistan.

While on footpatrol in the village of Nakhonay, 15 km southwest of Khandahar City, when an Improvised Explosive Device exploded, killing the Sudbury, Ontario native.

Sergeant Gouldreault was a member of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta.

Brigadier General Jon Vance said that Sergeant Gouldreault had been recognized early in his career for his leadership.

"Sgt. Goudreault was a model soldier, someone the soldiers in his section could look up to and emulate.

"Insurgents hide their weapons and IEDs amongst the civilian population and soldiers like Martin, both Canadian and Afghan, are working each and every day to find and eliminate these weapons caches," said Vance.

Sergeant Goudreault was born in Sudbury, Ontario and was working in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, based in Petawawa, Ontario.

Sergeant Gouldreault was a 15 year veteran and this was his third tour in Afghanistan and his fifth foreign tour.

This latest death brings Canada's war death in Afghanistan to 147 since Canada's mission began in Afghanistan in 2002.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

An IED blast has claimed the life of another Canadian soldier in Afghanistan.

Sgt. James Macneil, of Glace Bay, N.S., died Monday morning June 21, 2010 while on a joint foot patrol with members of the Afghan National Army near the village of Nakhonay, about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

The 28-year-old was killed after dismounting from his armoured vehicle.

Macneil was from the 2 Combat Engineer Regiment based at CFB Petawawa. He was serving with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

"We are all thinking of the family and friends of our Canadian fallen comrade during this sad time," read a statement on the Department of National Defence website. "The commitment and sacrifice of our military and their loved ones are helping to make a difference in the lives of the people of Kandahar Province."

Brig.-Gen Jonathan Vance, commander of Task Force Kandahar, said Macneil was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.

Vance called Macneil a "proud Cape Bretoner" with a great sense of humour who was always "the life of the party."

"He was blessed with a permanent smile and eyes that could not conceal the mischief that he was no doubt contemplating," Vance said.

According to Vance, after Macneil's last deployment to Afghanistan and before his promotion to sergeant, the young soldier was recognized as the top master corporal in 2 Mechanized Brigade Group.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed Macneil as a "courageous, dedicated soldier" and offered his condolences to Macneil's friends and family.

"May you be consoled by the knowledge that an entire country stands behind you in your grief," Harper said in a statement.

Governor General Michaelle Jean called Macneil "a dedicated participant in this most complex and perilous mission. We shall forever be indebted to him for the tremendous perseverance, courage, heroism and generosity that he exhibited. We shall not forget him."

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Macneil "served valiantly alongside his comrades to help build a better and brighter future for Afghans."

The repatriation ceremony for Sergeant James Patrick MacNeil, who was killed in Afghanistan this week, has been tentatively rescheduled to 2 p.m. Friday at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

The final destination is the Coroners Office a good distance from the Red Zone for G8, lets pray that these Anarchists that have decended on Toronto respect the cortege as it heads intto Toronto.

It will be interresting to see what Toronto Police allow on the overpasses. I have every expectation that they will allow regular Canadians to pay their respects, just might be a lot more Police presence.

-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 24th of June 2010 10:48:49 PM

68post · Poncho Master!

Thanks for keeping this thread going Ray. I served 23 years in uniform, and 3 1/2 years (so far) as a civilan employee with DND.
I work for 4 Engineer Support Regiment, as a mechanic on their Armored Fighting Vehicles.
The great majority of the soldiers in the unit are in their 20's and are Combat Engineers. Most of them have at least one trip to Afghanistan under their belt.
There's approx 25 soldiers on standby as part of the funeral party for Sgt MacNeil. I never met this soldier, but many of the guys in 4 ESR had.
Once again, thanks Ray

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I will make an extra special effort to get to an overpass this afternoon Barry and pay "our" respects. I am sure Steve in Coburg will do the same.