I must admit that while I was in school I thought that Remembrance Day was boring. I was always annoyed by having to stand in silence for a minute.
As I have grown up and matured, I have realized the importance of this day in our worlds history. A moment of silence is really not enough to remember these soldiers by.
November 11, 1918 was marked in history as the end of World War I. Â During that war more than 64,000 Canadian men and women were killed in battle. These men and women died so that you and I could have the freedom we enjoy today. Â Without the sacrifices of these now faceless heroes, who knows what our world would look like.
More over in 1939 Canada again took its place in World War 2. During WW2 there more that 45,000 Canadian military deaths. Again the men and women of the Canadian Armed forces put their lives on the line so that we could enjoy the freedom that Nazi Germany and their allies were trying to take away.
There have been many more wars since the two so called “great wars,” including the current War on Terror. All of these wars have taken a significant told on Canadian families. And even today, as our men and women fight for the freedom from the oppression of the Taliban, there are Canadian families that receive the bad news that a family member has passed away. Â These men and women are heroes in the truest sense of the word.
I don’t know any of these men and women personally, but I do know that they did not die in vain. Far to often we forget about the men and women that came home with permanent injuries, they are our heroes as well.
On this November day in 2008 – we say:
Below are a list of Canadians who have lost their lives in Afghanistan (97 at the time of writing).
Age: 36
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 7, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Age: 23
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 21
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 21
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)
Deceased: August 20, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)
Deceased: August 20, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 33
Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)
Deceased: August 20, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 32
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton Alberta
Deceased: August 11, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: August 9, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.
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Age: 25
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: July 18, 2008
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Age: 24
Unit: 1 Field Ambulance, Edmonton (Alberta)
Deceased: July 5, 2008
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Age: 37
Unit: Military Police Detachment in Dundurn, Saskatchewan
Deceased: July 4, 2008
Incident: Non combat related
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Age: 26
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alberta
Deceased: June 7, 2008
Incident: Accident, Zhari District, Afghanistan
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Age: 32
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: June 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan.
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Age: 36
Unit: 15 (Edmonton) Field Ambulance, Calgary, Alberta
Deceased: May 6, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.
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Age: 24
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: April 4, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 32
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: March 16, 2008
Incident: Explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 22
Unit: 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: March 11, 2008
Incident: Non combat related
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Age: 25
Unit: Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Edmonton, Alberta
Deceased: March 2, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 21
Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: January 23, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 26
Unit: 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: January 15, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Arghandab district, Afghanistan
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Age : 41
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: January 6, 2008
Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan
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Age : 31
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: January 6, 2008
Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan
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Age: 27
Unit: 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: December 30, 2007
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey District, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 3 Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: November 17, 2007
Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan
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Age: 28
Unit: 5 Field Ambulance, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: November 17, 2007
Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan
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Age: 24
Unit: The King’s Own Calgary Regiment, Alberta
Deceased: September 24, 2007
Incident: Mortar attack, Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
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Age: 42
Unit: Armoured Corps, The Royal Canadian Dragoons
Deceased: August 29, 2007
Incident: Non-combat-related death, Kabul, Afghanistan
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Age: 34
Unit: 5th Field Ambulance, 5 Area Support Group, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: August 22, 2007
Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan
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Age: 43
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: August 22, 2007
Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan
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Age: 23
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: August 19, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 37
Unit: 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 27
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 28
Unit: The Royal Westminster Regiment, New Westminster, British Columbia
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 23
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 20
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 31
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: June 20, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 26
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: June 20, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 22
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: June 20, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: June 11, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb, Afghanistan
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Age: 30
Unit: Army News Team, 3 Area Support Group, Canadian Forces Base Gagetown
Deceased: May 30, 2007
Incident: U.S. Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, Petawawa, Ontario
Deceased: May 25, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device
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Age: 25
Unit: Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Deceased: April 18, 2007
Incident: Accident, non combat related
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Age: 31
Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: April 11, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 23
Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: April 11, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 31
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 37
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 24
Unit: Princess Louise Fusiliers (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 23
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 20
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 20
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 25
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North) (Truro, Nova Scotia)
Deceased: March 6, 2007
Incident: Non combat related
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Age: 46
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: November 27, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 36
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: November 27, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 32
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 14, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 23
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 14, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 39
Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 7, 2006
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
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Age: 40
Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 3, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 32
Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 3, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 23
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 29, 2006
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
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Age: 32
Unit: 2 Field Ambulance (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 22
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 30
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 30
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 33
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 4, 2006
Incident: Friendly fire incident
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Age: 21
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 38
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 39
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3rd, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 30
Unit: 2 Combat Engineer Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3rd, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 27
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: August 22, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 23
Unit: 1st Field Ambulance (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 11, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 33
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: August 9, 2006
Incident: Shooting accident
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Age: 31
Unit: The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 5, 2006
Incident: Traffic accident
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Age: 22
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 35
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 27
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 34
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 44
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 22, 2006
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 29
Unit: The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada (Montréal, Québec)
Deceased: July 22, 2006
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 21
Unit: Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (Thunder Bay, Ontario)
Deceased: July 9, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 26
Unit: 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: May 17, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 23
Unit: 2 Military Police Platoon, Petawawa, Ontario
Deceased: April 22, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 25
Unit: 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment (Victoria, British Columbia)
Deceased: April 22, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 32
Unit: 1 Garrison Military Police Company, Detachment Wainwright, Alberta
Deceased: April 22, 200
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 45
Unit: Land Force Western Area Headquarters, Edmonton, Alberta (20th Field Artillery Regiment)
Deceased: April 22, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
Age: 22
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: March 29, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 30
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: March 5, 2006
Incident: LAV III traffic accident
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Age: 28
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: March 2, 2006
Incident: LAV III traffic accident
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Age: 59
Unit: Director, Foreign Affairs Canada
Deceased: January 15, 2006
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 24
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Oromocto, New Brunswick)
Deceased: November 24, 2005
Incident: LAV III traffic accident
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Age: 26
Unit: 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: January 27, 2004
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 29
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 2, 2003
Incident: Landmine explosion
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Age: 42
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 2, 2003
Incident: Landmine explosion
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Age: 24
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
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Age: 21
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
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Age: 29
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
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Age: 26
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
4 Responses to The Faceless Heros of Rememberance Day
For those who stood, and for all who stand today, thank you. For making this world we live in a better place for us all.
Nice work. The life we live today in Canada is a testimony to the military men and women who fought in these wars.
Good Job Son inlaw, This was a hard Blog on me. Most of the faces that you see on this blog died on my Tour of Afghanistan, and were friends of mine. They are hitched in my memory for a lifetime. The ones that died on the other tours, alot of them I did know. So dont worry, This is one Ex- Soldier that will not forget forget his Comrades. I think of them daily, I go to bed thinking of them and wake up thinking of them. Thank you for Remembering Son inlaw.