They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Cpl Etienne Gonthier – Afghanistan January 23, 2008

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Trooper Richard Renaud – Afghanistan January 15, 2008

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadians:

Cpl Eric Labbe – Afghanistan January 6, 2008
WO Hani Massouh – Afghanistan January 6, 2008

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays

Inspite of bitterly cold weather yesterday afternoon myself and a surprisingly good number of people were out on the Herley St. bridge a Colborne to pay our respects to Gunner Dion and his family as they made the sad trip with his remains from CFB Trenton to Toronto.

One of the local snowplows joined the fire service and EMS vehicles with their lights flashing on the bridge. The plow had cleared the snow from the walkway over the bridge allowing those of us who turned out to stand on the walkway instead of climbing over snowbanks.

As I stood on the bridge with the wind occasionally nipping at the back of my head, my gaze to the east watching for the flashing lights of the motorcade my thoughts went to the footage I watched on Monday morning of hundreds of troops on a tarmac in bitterly cold Kandahar solemnly saluting Gunner Dion as he started his journey home.

While I’m saluting his service and sacrifice on a bridge over the Highway of Heroes in Ontario and wondering how many more of those troops will come home this way I can’t help but think that some of those troops saluting their fallen comrade allowed themselves the question “Will I be next?”

Stay safe those who serve so selflessly for us.

I know, it is traditional to write a New Years entry on New Years Day. However, when you’re involved in the Legion, New Years Eve and New Years Day merge into one long day with a nap between 2am and 7am, if you’re lucky. So, for all my readers — Happy New Year!! — just a day late and a dollar short.

Hard to believe a whole year has passed again. So what do I resolve for 2008? Well, for this blog I want to resolve there will be at least 300 more entries by the end of the year. My prayer is that none of them will be remembrance postings for soldiers killed in Afghanistan serving my country. Read the rest of this entry