Dozens of Canadian’s lined the streets outside 8-Wing in Ontario to pay their respects to 6 Armed Forces service members killed during a training exercise in Greece last week.
A repatriation ceremony was held at CFB Trenton to honour the five men and one woman who died when their Cyclone helicopter crashed into the ocean. Outside the chain-linked fences, men, women and children, many wearing red and white while respecting physical distancing rules, stood quietly as the procession drove-past.
“The fallen, the families and the nation can come together and grieve together in such an Honorable way,” said John Carins, an Honorary Colonel at the base.
“Each of us has to remember on a day-to-day basis the amount of risk that our Canadian Armed Forces deal with each and every day.”
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“That there’s no guarantee of tomorrow and that what they give to us as a nation makes us so proud.”
Quinte West has participated in more than 150-repatriation ceremonies. During the Afghan war 158 soldiers and seven civilians were killed in the line of duty. Men, women and children would line the chain-linked fences during each ramp ceremony, others would line the bridges along the “Highway of Heroes.”
“We’re going to do it differently today but it won’t be any less than it has ever been,” explains Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison.
On-lookers were unable to watch through the fencing, instead, the Department of National Defence (DND) offered a streaming service online to allow people the opportunity to take in the service while respecting emergency measures put in place by the province amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re proud of 8-Wing, we’re proud of all the military people.”
Peter and Reine Dawe, who lives outside Kingston, say they know what it’s like to be the family standing on the tarmac — they lost their son Capt. Matthew Dawe in July of 2007, killed in action while serving in Kandahar Afghanistan.
“As painful as the moment is, in time I think the families will appreciate that Canada honours its dead, in fact, a nation is behind our forces,” explained Peter Dawe.
Reine Dawe is the 2019 recipient of the National Silver Cross Mother.
“I think they will find that when they think about it at a later date, they will get some comfort from that ceremony,” added Reine. “To get that support from so many, is absolutely heartwarming.”