Body Of Canada’s 78th Fallen Soldier Returns From Afghanistan

About 150 people lined up along the fence at CFB Trenton on Sunday to watch the repatriation of Corp. Etienne Gonthier, the 78th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since the Canadian mission began in 2002.

The laughter and chatter among the crowd came to an abrupt halt at 2 p.m. when a CC-150 Polaris Airbus carrying Gonthier’s remains of touched down.

Many of those standing along the fence didn’t even know the name of the soldier whose return had prompted them to gather, but all said they were there for the same reason: to show support and to show compassion for Gonthier’s family.

“I’ve always wanted to come to one to show my respect,” said Diane Langabeer of Picton, Ont. “I want to show respect not only for the soldier but to the families that have lost their son or daughter.”

Langabeer placed a small Canadian flag on the chain-link fence separating her from the repatriation ceremony.

The flag, she explained, belonged to a friend’s father who was a war veteran.

“The 150 people in attendance hopefully shows the family that Canadians do care and feel empathy when a soldier returns home in the same fashion as Gonthier,” Langabeer said. “It’s like they haven’t died in vain.”

Lise Belanger, a Trenton resident whose husband is in the military, was also attending a repatriation for the first time.

She said she too wanted the family to know their loss is recognized by others and their sorrow is understood.

“He didn’t die for nothing. He died for his country, for liberty and peace,” Belanger said.

The community support is encouraging, said Rick Williams of Glen Ross, Ont.

He and wife Karen have attended a number of repatriations including the first one.

That first ceremony did not draw any type of crowd but, instead, had only he, his wife and one other person in attendance.

Looking at the Canadian flags displayed so prominently, the dozens of people watching silently as the ceremony unfolded and the vehicles slowing down as they passed, Williams said it only seems appropriate that repatriations be recognized by local residents.

“If you don’t go to them you feel like you have let down your end of the bargain,” he said.

Gonthier, who was born and raised in the greater Quebec City area, was on his first foreign mission and was due to return from his stint in Kandahar in March.

The 21-year-old had just been promoted to corporal from sapper when he was killed in Afghanistan Jan. 23 by a roadside bomb.