'A SOLDIER NEVER REALLY DIES,' Boneca mourners told

Hundreds of mourners gathered Monday at a full military funeral in Thunder Bay, Ont., for Cpl. Anthony Boneca.

Cpl. Anthony Boneca was given a full military funeral in Thunder Bay, Ont. (CBC) Boneca was killed July 9 in firefight with Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan. He was just weeks away from completing his second tour of duty.

Members of Boneca's Lake Superior Scottish Regiment attended in full Highland dress at St. Patrick's Cathedral, which has a capacity of 1,100.

Cpl. Jon O'Connor told mourners about experiences he shared with Boneca, struggling to keep his composure while recounting a visit they had shared to the graves of unknown Canadian World War veterans in France and Belgium.

"To us, to me especially, he was just 'Tony,' " O'Connor said. "He was a good man, a good soldier and a great friend."

"A soldier never really dies," he added. "He lives on in the fighting spirit of the rest of us."

Megan DeCorte, Boneca's girlfriend, spoke about the last days they spent together.

"On May 12th of this year, Tony, while on leave, met me in Rome for a beautiful, romantic three weeks together," DeCorte said. "One beautiful night in Venice on a gondola ride he gave me my promise ring, which I will cherish for the rest of my life."

Master Cpl. Craig Lovelin, a member of the regiment who delivered a eulogy at the service, told CBC News earlier Monday he wanted to correct the impression left by some media reports that Boneca had been disillusioned with the military.

'Ultimate price'

"There's been some misconception of who exactly Cpl. Boneca really is," said Lovelin. "We might have missed on the important fact that he was soldier and he paid the ultimate price for his country."

After the church service, the casket containing Boneca's body was scheduled to be taken to the city's Mountainview Cemetery for a private ceremony, which will include a 21-gun salute.

Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca was the 17th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan since Canada's first battle group was sent to the country in February 2002. (CFC/Canadian Press) Shirley Boneca, the soldier's mother, will receive the Silver Cross, a medal given to family members of Canadian soldiers killed in action.

The family will also be presented their son's balmoral hat, his service medals and the Canadian flag that accompanied his casket from overseas.

The day after Boneca was killed, more than 1,000 coalition soldiers honoured him at a service at the Kandahar airfield.

A repatriation ceremony was then held last Wednesday when he arrived at CFB Trenton with Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier attending.

His body arrived at the airport in Thunder Bay shortly before noon Friday and lay in state over the weekend.


Last Updated Mon, 17 Jul 2006 14:35:32 EDT
CBC News