Ride Honours Wounded Soldiers
Posted May 29, 2010 12:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hundreds of Canadians lined the Highway of Heroes Saturday afternoon.
They weren’t there for a repatriation, but to honour soldiers who succumbed to their wounds after coming home from fighting in Afghanistan.
The event, organized by Friends of Veterans Canada, had a group of very special guests. The Fitzpatrick family traveled along the Highway of Heroes in honour of their son Darren who died about two months ago.
The 21-year old Prince George B.C. native was grievously wounded by an IED blast outside Kandahar on March 6. He passed away two weeks later in Edmonton.
“It’s pretty overwhelming to see all the support,” his mother Colleen said. “That’s why we’re here; to pay our respects to our son and all the fallen troops and to make sure their legacy and all their contributions are recognized.”
The journey proved to be an emotional one for everybody involved.
“I’m so glad I’m wearing sunglasses on this trip because I’ll tell you I had tears running down my face,” said Friends of Veterans Canada president Randy Young
A section of the 401 was renamed because it became the all-too familiar route the military took bringing home bodies of Canadians lost in Afghanistan.
