Funeral held for Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan

ST-CYRILLE-DE-WENDOVER, Que. – Cpl. Steve Martin’s broad smile beaming brightly from a large portrait stood in stark contrast to the grief-stricken faces of hundreds of people who filed into the church for a sombre farewell.

Martin was killed on Dec. 18, just two days shy of his 25 birthday, when a roadside bomb exploded near his patrol, making him Canada’s 154th combat fatality of the Afghan mission.

Family, friends and people just wanting to offer support packed the Eglise St-Cyrille in St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, about 115 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

A military guard of honour flanked the walkway into the towering church as Martin’s coffin, draped with the Canadian Forces flag, was carried from a funeral home across the street and into the private service.

Martin’s military dagger lay atop the coffin, which was escorted by his unit commander who was dressed in his combat uniform.

Crowds of people packed the church, including the mother of another soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

Nicole Beauchamp, whose son Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp was killed three years ago when his light armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, said she wanted to be present to support Martin’s family.

"My thoughts are with the family," she said as she hurried into the church.

"They need our support and so do our soldiers," she said. "They have lost one of their colleagues."

Beauchamp added she wanted to express her support for the troops in Afghanistan as well, saying she was proud of them and those who gave their lives, including her son.

"He gave a lot and it’s because of that I’m here to give support to (Martin’s) family."

Martin arrived for his second tour in war-ravaged Afghanistan shortly after burying his grandfather in St-Cyrille-de-Wendover.

A member of 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment, Martin was serving in Afghanistan with Parachute Company of the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment battle group based at CFB Valcartier, Que.

Charles Bouchard, a retired member of the Canadian Forces, came from Quebec City to pay his respects even though he didn’t know Martin.

"It’s very hard for us because this guy belongs to our family," said Bouchard, who was also a member of the Royal 22e Regiment. "He’s part of us."

Bouchard acknowledged there are risks in the military life.

"It’s our job to go there, to secure the Afghan population … to protect them." He said it was made tougher, however, because of the irregular nature of the war, saying the troops are fighting "ghosts."

"But we do our best. The kids we have over there in Afghanistan are the best."

After the funeral, Martin’s body was taken for a private burial. Many of the people who came out of the church looked distraught and several young people fought back tears as they hugged each other.

Martin was killed while on foot patrol near a major road construction project that NATO is promoting in a volatile district of Kandahar.

The area in the horn of Panjwaii was until recently dominated by the Taliban, who used it as a staging point to attack toward the provincial capital.

While an initial American assault drove out insurgents, some bomb-laying cells have remained in the area.

Martin’s combat death was the first for the Forces since Cpl. Brian Pinksen died of wounds in hospital on Aug. 26, four days after being caught in a roadside bombing.

Martin, a native of nearby Drummondville, joined the Canadian Forces in October 2005 and was assigned to the Royal 22e Regiment, commonly known as the Van Doos, in 2006.

He had also served in earthquake-devastated Haiti earlier this year.