Bodies Of Six Cdn. Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan Return Home
Posted July 8, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
On a sombre Sunday evening, the bodies of six Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan less than a week earlier were returned to Canadian soil.
The soldiers’ families, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier and several other dignitaries were all on hand at CFB Trenton when the military aircraft landed at the eastern Ontario base. One by one the bodies were taken off a military transport plane during a moving two-hour ceremony while dozens of well-wishers dressed in red and waving Canadian flags stood nearby to show their support
Capt. Matthew Dawe, Cpl. Jordan Anderson, Pte. Lane Watkins and Pte. Cole Bartsch were all based at CFB Edmonton. They died alongside Capt. Jefferson Francis from CFB Shilo, Man., and Master Cpl. Colin Bason, a reservist from New Westminster. An Afghan interpreter was also killed.
Irene Robbins was one of those on hand at Sunday’s repatriation. Robbins’ son is in Afghanistan on his second tour of duty and she stood watched with her husband and called the ceremony “Amazing and really heartfelt.
“I’m just really proud that we could do this for them and show our support.”
The six troops were claimed when their armoured vehicle struck a massive roadside bomb about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City. Funerals will be held this week in their respective hometowns.
In total, 66 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since the war began in 2002.
