Ramp ceremony held for three fallen Cdn. soldiers killed in explosion
Published Thursday September 4th, 2008
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - As thousands of soldiers began shuffling off the tarmac at Kandahar Airfield following an evening ramp ceremony for three fallen Canadians, Pte. Glen Kirkland slowly rolled up to the belly of the Hercules transport plane and carefully pulled himself out of his wheelchair.
Walking up the 45 degree incline into the cargo bay where the caskets of 23-year-old Cpl. Andrew Grenon, Cpl. Mike Seggie, 21, and Pte. Chad Horn, 21, sat wrapped in Canadian flags appeared to be a challenge for the injured soldier, but missing out on a final farewell clearly wasn't an option.
All infantrymen with the 2nd battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man., the soldiers were killed when their armoured vehicle was ambushed in a direct fire attack by insurgents early Wednesday in the perilous Zhari district of Kandahar.
Kirkland and four others were injured in the assault and likely owe their lives to many of the 24 teary-eyed pall bearers who carried the caskets and who are typically drawn from the platoons of the fallen.
In an effort to find something positive in the midst of so much tragedy, battlegroup commander Lt.-Col. Dave Corbould praised their quick actions to save the wounded soldiers who were trapped inside their vehicle.
"The platoon quickly grabbed the initiative, immediately won the firefight, took care of its casualties, got them evacuated to proper medical facilities, all as they have been trained," he said after the ceremony.
"Those five casualties lived to fight another day and there's no doubt that Cpls. Grenon and Seggie and Pte. Horn were looking down at them with pride knowing full well that they were doing what they were supposed to be doing."
Three of the injured soldiers, one of whom remains in critical condition, have since been transferred to a NATO hospital in Germany.
The soldiers were just weeks away from the end of their six month tour when the attack occurred while on a patrol.
The exact nature of the ambush, which involved some sort of explosion, isn't clear, but military officials have said they were not killed by an improvised explosive device or roadside bomb.
They've said the explosion was caused by a weapon not seen very often but one Canadian Forces have seen insurgents use before.
AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars are among the most common weapons used by the Taliban. They've also been known to use 82 millimetre recoilless rifles which are capable of puncturing an armoured vehicle.
A Taliban spokesman insisted a 30-kg IED was involved in the attack and suggested Canadian troops can expect more attacks during the holy month of Ramadan which started Monday, as being martyred this time of year is considered a virtue.
"This is a very holy month. The holy war will be going on against the non Muslims," Qari Muhammad Yussef said.
"This is the month where Allah forgives us easily."
Yussef also reiterated a warning to Canadians to leave Afghanistan, a warning he first issued following a deadly attack against two Canadian aid workers last month south of Kabul.
"I repeat what I said before, that I warn Canadians again to leave Afghanistan if you don't want to have more casualties here," he said.
"Once again I say that we don't want to fight with Canadians. Actually we want to create friendship with Canadians, not to kill them or not to be killed by them."
During the ramp ceremony, the three Canadians killed Wednesday were remembered as dedicated soldiers.
While Horn was "regarded as the best gunner around," battlegroup chaplain Capt. Darren Persaud said in a sombre address, Seggie was a "free spirit" who "loved to talk to everyone" including the Afghans whom he would address in their native Pashto using phrases he taught himself.
Grenon was remembered for his "warrior spirit," Persaud said, noting this was his second tour in Afghanistan and certainly not his first brush with danger.
"He was injured twice in his first tour, but this did not deter him from coming back," Persaud said, adding Grenon was hoping to return for a third time. "His quiet confidence made everyone around him feel safe."
In a poem released Thursday by his family entitled "Why we fight," written part-way through his first tour in 2006, Grenon spoke of his commitment to Afghanistan.
"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," he wrote.
"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," he added. "Because, if we don't fight today, on this battlefield, then our children will be forced to face these monsters on our own battlefield."
The deaths bring to 96 the number of Canadian soldiers killed since the Afghan mission began in 2002. A Canadian diplomat has also died.
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