Canadian Soldier Killed In Afghanistan Begins Journey Home

Canadian soldiers gathered in the Kandahar Airfield to bid farewell to one of their own Saturday.

In a solemn ceremony, the flag-draped casket of Private Michael Freeman was loaded onto a military aircraft in Kandahar to begin the long journey home.

The 28-year-old Pte. Freeman, of Peterborough, was killed when his armoured carrier hit a roadside bomb in the troubled Zhari District west of Kandahar City on Friday.

His job was to drive light armoured vehicles as part of his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was part of the 3rd Batallion of the Royal Canadian Regiment based out of CFB Petawawa and had returned to Kandahar just two weeks earlier from leave.

Pte. Freeman is being remembered not only as an easygoing and well-liked soldier but also as an avid golfer who created his own driving range on the base where he was stationed.

Three other soldiers were hurt in the blast but were evacuated to Kandahar Airfield and are in good condition.

It has been a deadly month for our troops in the war-torn country. Seven men have been lost fighting the Taliban in December alone.

On December 13th, three of the country’s finest, Corporal Thomas James Hamilton, Private Justin Peter Jones and Private John Michael Roy Curwin, died when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb just west of Kandahar City.

And just over a week before that, a trio of officers, Corporal Mark McLaren, Private Demetrios Diplaros and Warrant Officer Robert Wilson, all perished after their transport also hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

There was an outpouring of emotion and huge gatherings as their bodies travelled down the Highway of Heroes. Diplaros’s death was especially felt in the his hometown of Toronto.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who attended Pte. Freeman’s ramp ceremony, blamed the recent violence on a seasonal spike and increasingly sophisticated IEDs.

So far, 104 soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan since our troops were deployed there in 2001, with IEDs killing 19 of the 29 claimed in 2008.

There are more than 2,750 Canadian Forces members currently serving in Afghanistan, most at Kandahar Airfield and as part of a provincial reconstruction team in Kandahar City. The mission is scheduled to end in 2011.

For more on IEDs in Afghanistan, click here.

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List Of Canadian Casualties In Afghanistan

2008

Dec. 26: A Canadian soldier is killed by an improvised explosive device and three of his colleagues are wounded during a patrol in the Zhari district.

Dec 13: Corporal Thomas James Hamilton, Private Justin Peter Jones and Private John Michael Roy Curwin died when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb just west of Kandahar City.

Dec. 5: Three soldiers, Cpl. Mark McLaren, Pte. Demetrios Diplaros and Warrant Officer Robert Wilson perish after their vehicle hits an improvised explosive device. Their deaths bring the toll of Canadians killed overall since 2002 to 100.

Sept 7: Sgt. Scott Shipway, an infantryman with the 2nd battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was killed in a roadside bomb attack in the Panjwaii district.

Sept. 3: Cpl. Andrew Grenon, Cpl. Mike Seggie and Pte. Chad Horn were killed while on security patrol in the Zhari district

Aug. 21: Sgt. Shawn Eades, Sapper Stephan Stock and Cpl. Dustin Wasden, with 1 Combat Engineer Regiment based out of Edmonton and attached to the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, killed when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. They were on patrol in the Zhari district at the time.

Aug 11: Master Cpl. Erin Doyle was killed early Monday when insurgents attacked a remote outpost in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province.

Aug 9: Master Cpl. Josh Roberts of the Second Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry is killed in a firefight with insurgents in the volatile Zhari District, west of Kandahar city.

July 19: Cpl. James Hayward Arnal was killed in Afghanistan after he was hit by an explosion during a night patrol in the Panjwaii district.

July 6: Pte. Colin William Wilmot was killed while on foot patrol in the Panjwaii district near Kandahar city.

July 5: Corporal Brendan Anthony Downey was found dead in an accommodation room. An investigation was launched to establish the circumstances of this incident. Corporal Downey was a Military Policeman from the Military Police Detachment in Dundurn, Saskatchewan.

June 8: Captain Jonathan Snyder, dies after falling into a well during a night-time patrol west of Kandahar

June3: Capt. Richard Steve Leary is killed by small arms fire during a foot patrol with Afghan forces in the Panjwaii district.

May 6: Cpl. Michael Starker is killed on foot patrol during an outing to meet with civilians in the Pashuml District, about 25 kilometres from his home base in Kandahar. Another soldier is wounded.

April 4: Pte. Terry John Street of Hull, Quebec perishes when his vehicle hits an improved explosive device in the Panjwaii district near Kandahar.

March 16: Sgt. Jason Boyes of Manitoba dies when an explosive device goes off while he’s on foot in the Panjwaii district. He’s only 32 years of age.

March 11: Bombardier Jeremie Ouellet, 22, of Matane, Que., from 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Man., found dead in accommodation room at Kandahar Airfield. Military says death not related to combat.

March 2: Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, 25, from Lord Strathcona’s Horse, Edmonton, killed by roadside bomb in Mushan, 45 kilometres west of Kandahar City.

Jan. 23: Sapper Etienne Gonthier, 21, of St-Georges, Que., near Quebec City, a combat engineer serving with 5ieme Regiement du Genie de Combat, killed in a mine-clearing operation when his light armoured vehicle was hit by roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district.

Jan. 15: Trooper Richard Renaud, 26, of Alma Que., a member of the 12e Regiment blinde du Canada, killed when the Coyote light armoured vehicle he was travelling in hit a roadside bomb while on patrol in the Arghandab district, north of Kandahar city.

Jan. 6: Warrant Officer Hani Massouh, 41, and Cpl. Eric Labbe, 31, of 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, killed when their armoured vehicle rolled over in wet, rugged terrain southwest of Kandahar City.

2007

Dec. 30: Jonathan Dion, 27, gunner with 5th Regiment d’Artillerie legere du Canada from Val-d’Or, Que., killed when his light armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan.

Nov. 17: Cpl. Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp of the 5th Field Ambulance in Valcartier and Pte. Michel Levesque of the Royal 22nd Regiment, killed when their light armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb near Bazar-e Panjwaii.

Sept. 24: Cpl. Nathan Hornburg, 24, with the King’s Own Calgary regiment, killed by a mortar shell while trying to repair a Leopard tank in southern Afghanistan.

Aug. 29: Maj. Raymond Ruckpaul, 42, died from a gunshot wound in his room at the headquarters of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Kabul. He was an armoured officer based at the NATO Allied Land Component Command Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.

Aug. 22: Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, Royal 22nd Regiment; Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne, 5th Field Ambulance unit, both based in Valcartier, Que., killed when light armoured vehicle struck by roadside bomb after battle for strategic hill west of Kandahar city.

Aug. 19: Pte. Simon Longtin, 23, of Longueuil, Que., on Montreal’s south shore, a member of the Royal 22nd Regiment, killed when his light armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar city.

July 4: Cpl. Cole Bartsch, Capt. Matthew Johnathan Dawe, Pte. Lane Watkins and Cpl. Jordan Anderson, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton; Master Cpl. Colin Bason, a reservist from The Royal Westminster Regiment based in New Westminster, B.C., and Capt. Jefferson Francis of the 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shilo, Man., killed by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar city.

June 20: Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane and Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb near a forward-operating base at Sperwan Ghar, west of Kandahar.

June 11: Tooper Darryl Caswell, 25, of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, killed when an improvised explosive device detonated underneath his vehicle north of Kandahar City.

May 30: Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede, a combat photographer based at CFB Gagetown, N.B., killed when a U.S. helicopter was reportedly shot down by the Taliban in Helmand province.

May 25: Cpl. Matthew McCully, 25, a signals operator from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron based at Petawawa, Ont., killed by an improvised explosive device in Zhari district.April 18: Master Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer, 25, of Listowel, Ont., died after falling from a communications tower while on duty with the elite Special Operations Forces Command, conducting surveillance in Kandahar City.

April 11: Master Cpl. Allan Stewart, 30, and Trooper Patrick James Pentland, 23, both of the Royal Canadian Dragoons based in Petawawa, Ont., killed when their Coyote vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

April 8: Pte. Kevin V. Kennedy, 20, of St. Lawrence, Nfld., Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31, of Burton, N.B., Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, 23, of Lincoln, N.B., Pte. David R. Greenslade, 20, of Saint John, N.B., Cpl. Brent Poland, 37, of Sarnia, Ont., all of Gagetown, N.B.-based 2nd Battalion, RCR; and Cpl. Christopher Stannix, 24, of Dartmouth, N.S., from the Halifax-based Princess Louise Fusiliers, killed when their armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the Maywand district.

March 6: Cpl. Kevin Megeney, 25, of Stellarton, N.S., a member of 1st Battalion of Nova Scotia Highlanders, killed by accidental shooting at NATO base in Kandahar.

2006

Nov. 27: Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard, his battalion’s regimental sergeant major, and Cpl. Albert Storm, both of Royal Canadian Regiment based in CFB Petawawa, killed when suicide car bomber attacked their Bison armoured personnel carrier on outskirts of Kandahar City.

Oct. 14: Sgt. Darcy Tedford, based at CFB Petawawa, and Pte. Blake Williamson from Ottawa killed in ambush west of Kandahar.

Oct. 7: Trooper Mark Andrew Wilson of Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed when his armoured vehicle hit by roadside bomb in Panjwaii district.

Oct. 3: Sgt. Craig Gillam and Cpl. Robert Mitchell of Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in series of mortar, rocket attacks just west of Kandahar City.

Sept. 29: Pte. Josh Klukie of First Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed by explosion in Panjwaii while on foot patrol.

Sept. 18: Pte. David Byers, Cpl. Shane Keating and Cpl. Keith Morley, all of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man., and Cpl. Glen Arnold, 2 Field Ambulance, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in suicide bicycle bomb attack while on foot patrol in Panjwaii.

Sept. 4: Pte. Mark Graham, based at CFB Petawawa, killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in Panjwaii district.

Sept. 3: Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Pte. William Cushley and Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, all based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., killed in fighting in Panjwaii district.

Aug. 22: Cpl. David Braun, based at Shilo, Man., killed in suicide bomb attack in Kandahar City.

Aug. 11: Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, of Comox, B.C., stationed with 1st Field Ambulance, based in Edmonton, killed in suicide attack.

Aug. 9: Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh, 33, of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., killed by apparent accidental discharge of rifle.

Aug. 5: Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, 31, of Loyal Edmonton Regiment, killed when large truck collided head-on with his G-Wagon patrol vehicle.

Aug. 3: Cpl. Christopher Reid, 34, of 1st Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, killed by roadside bomb. Three other members of same battalion killed in rocket-propelled grenade attack by Taliban forces west of Kandahar: Sgt. Vaughan Ingram, 35, Cpl. Bryce Keller, 27, and Pte. Kevin Dallaire, 22.

July 22: Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44, of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Cpl. Jason Warren, 29, of Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, based in Montreal, killed when car packed with explosives rammed their armoured vehicle.

July 9: Cpl. Anthony Boneca, 21, reservist from Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., killed in firefight.

May 17: Capt. Nichola Goddard, artillery officer based in Shilo, Man., with 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, killed in Taliban ambush during battle in Panjwaii region. She was first Canadian woman to be killed in action while serving in combat role.

April 22: Cpl. Matthew Dinning of Richmond Hill, Ont., stationed with 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Petawawa, Ont., Bombardier Myles Mansell of Victoria, Lt. William Turner of Toronto, stationed in Edmonton, and Cpl. Randy Payne, born in Lahr, Germany, stationed at CFB Wainright, Alta., all killed when their G-Wagon destroyed by roadside bomb near Gumbad.

March 29: Pte. Robert Costall of Edmonton, machine-gunner, killed in firefight with Taliban insurgents in Sangin district of Helmand province.

March 2: Cpl. Paul Davis of Bridgewater, N.S., and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., killed when their armoured vehicle ran off road in Kandahar area.

Jan. 15: Glyn Berry, British-born Canadian diplomat who had served with Foreign Affairs Department since 1977, killed in suicide bombing near Kandahar.

2005

Nov. 24: Pte. Braun Woodfield, born in Victoria and raised in Eastern Passage, N.S., killed when his armoured vehicle rolled over near Kandahar.

2004

Jan. 27: Cpl. Jamie Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Nfld., killed in suicide bombing while on patrol near Kabul.

2003

Oct. 2: Sgt. Robert Short, 42, of Fredericton, and Cpl. Robbie Beerenfenger, 29, of Ottawa, killed in roadside bombing southwest of Kabul.

2002

April 18: Sgt. Marc Leger, 29, of Lancaster, Ont., Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, 24, of Montreal, Pte. Richard Green, 21, of Mill Cove, N.S., and Pte. Nathan Smith, 27, of Tatamagouche, N.S., all killed when U.S. F-16 fighter mistakenly bombed Canadians on pre-dawn training exercise. Eight other Canadians wounded in friendly-fire incident.