CBC News
Cpl. Derick Lewis of the Royal Canadian Regiment
arrives at the Ottawa International Airport on Friday.
A Canadian Forces Airbus transported the 11 Canadian soldiers, who either sustained injuries from battle with the Taliban or during a friendly-fire incident. They were scheduled to be taken to the Civic Hospital in Ottawa.
The soldiers had been recuperating at a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
The long-term prognosis for Pte. Michael Spence, wounded in the friendly fire incident on Monday "is not yet clear," his parents said Friday.
Spence, of Russell, Ont., "has moved his fingers and toes and has even attempted to speak to the doctors," Rick and Christina Spence said in a statement.
"We are very optimistic at this point, however we do realize that Michael has a long road of recovery ahead of him and it is not yet clear what the long-term prognosis is for our son. We can only hope and pray that he continues to recover well. He is young and very strong, and that will bode well for him."
Spence was among the seven Canadians badly wounded when U.S. aircraft mistakenly attacked them in the early morning as they readied to assault a Taliban stronghold near Kandahar. Pte. Mark Anthony Graham was killed in the attack.
Spence was placed in a medically induced coma with a serious head wound on Tuesday and had surgery earlier this week. On Wednesday, his neurosurgeon said Spence was improving.
Two of the approximately 30 soldiers injured recalled the incident for CBC's Carolyn Dunn in Kandahar on Friday.
"It was a light show," said one soldier, Francois. "I mean, you see that thing firing on the ground, it's gonna take some stuff out."
"It's terrifying," another, Jordan, added. "I'm mad. I'm disappointed. It's just part of war, I guess. People make mistakes."
Canadian commanders have said all but five of the wounded are expected to return to duty.
According to the Department of National Defence, the 10 returning to Canada (other than Spence) are:
- Cpl. Bruce Moncur.
- Cpl. Montgomery MacDonald.
- Cpl. Ryan Pagnacco.
- Cpl. Derick Lewis.
- Sgt. Kym Cousineau.
- Maj. Matthew Sprague.
- Master Cpl. Gary Mitchell.
- Pte. Walter Cummings.
- Capt. Michelle Mendes.
- Cpl. Matthew Belear.
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