Lay Me Doone - A Farewell to the Brave

PW - In Respect of our Military Families, Our Fallen, and Wounded on Remembrance Day

For what we take for granted

So many have died for

So many lives so vastly changed

At the dreadful cost of war

There is the good; there is the bad

A liberated nation cheers

Left in dread for those young souls lost

Devastated a world back home

Efforts to protect a peace

That no one thought was near

Laying lives upon the line

Visions at times so unclear

Lives touched by fear or lived in dread

Of wounded coming home

Of crosses lined in many rows

From a trip down a heroes road

I have been sitting on the bank

Of a river flowing by

Flowing heavy with the flood of tears

From their family’s eyes

For on this day of remembrance

Their thoughts, their dreams, their prayers

Are focused on a loved one lost

Leaving them in such despair

My heart it wants to reach out

Let them know I can’t forget

The gift they’ve laid for their fellow man

Tis the greatest gift to give

So humbled in a moment’s thought

So treasured was the step

That they took forth at their country’s call

Let it never be forgot

We measure freedom lightly now

For we’ve grown so familiar with

But if not for those who took this step

And gave this precious gift

Would we take it so very lightly

Would we have the chance to vent

About all that annoys and bothers us

Without retribution for what we’ve said

So thankful they stood so proudly for

All that we hold so dear

All that makes us Canada

For me it’s oh so clear

For some others they just don’t get it

They think so little of

What has been placed in front of them

At the cost of someone’s love

If I could send forth a message

Place it in a bottle, float it by

I’d provide a note of how much I care

For those whose tears are flowing by

If I could walk along this shore

Such a warming hug I’d give

To those who’ve lost a loved one

So we can live the way we live

By Roger Borchert

PW - A Soldier Goes Home Today

PWIn memory of our latest fallen soldier.

A Canadian soldier goes home today

His duty all but done

His friends gather round to see him off

And salute him one by one

To keep the peace he's done his best

And kept the foe at bay

And gave the children in a foreign land

A chance to run and play

They may never know this soldier's name

Nor the sacrifice he made

To leave his own fond loved ones
***

***

At home they wish he stayed

But the work of keeping a fragile peaceIs a long and arduous one

Most times accomplished with an open hand

But sometimes with a gun

He is not the first to go this way

But we pray he is the last

With a few shed tears we say goodbye

And then from sight he's passed

Yes, a Canadian soldier goes home today

Draped in our National Flag

His duty for his country is done

Rest well my fallen comrade

***

by Roland MacKinnon

ATTITUDE

FIREPOWER

QW: Soldier vs Civilian

"The moral difference between a soldier and a civilian is that the soldier accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic of which he is a member. The civilian does not."

- Robert Heinlein

from the book Starship Troopers

PW - THE SILENT RANKS

I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens

But I am in the Army in the ranks rarely seen

I have no rank upon my shoulders - salutes I do not give

But the military world is the place where I live

I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get

But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget

I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line

But my job is just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind

My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man

And the call to serve his country not all can understand

Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free

My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me

I love the man I married, Soldiering is his life

But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Army Wife

- Mrs Henry Potter -

the RCD

QW: War & Deception

"All warfare is based on deception."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

PW - Thoughts of a Soldier

Ole Jack Layton ~ Thoughts From A Soldier
Dear Jack Layton,

You sit there in your quiet home, no fear is in your heart,
You sleep soundly certain that it won't be blown apart.
Your children they can go to school and play out in the park,
They've never seen a bomb explode, heard air raids in the dark.

They've never seen dead bodies piled up on the street,
Your wife, she won't be beaten, treated like a piece of meat.

You are free to form opinions, read any news print you can see,
You enjoy your rights and privileges in this country wide and free.

The reason you can live like that is because I fight your wars,
I fight and push the enemy back, I keep them off our shores.

I am here and you are there pretending you know best.
Well Ole Jack now listen close while I get this off my chest.

You have the right to criticize, you have the right to complain
You don't have the right to drag me down in a stupid political game.

The thing about your rights Ole Jack, the part you can't comprehend
Is you work in the very system, the democracy I defend.
I stand on fences around the world protecting those that need it,
It is not for you to determine Jack whether or not it's worth it.

Ask the people in Afghanistan if they want me to stay,
Women and children depend on me - you say just walk away.

I don't need your changing policy, trying hard to not lose face,
What I need is you behind me, helping protect this place.

You know its hard to do this when I think I'm all alone.
I hear stories of young punks pissing on memorial stones.

I read the papers over here and they tell me what is said.
Canadians are losing faith I can't get it through my head.

You say that it is hopeless, it really brings me down
Don't tell my mother we're losing, don't spread that rumour around.

I'm doing good, were winning here but no-one will believe
Because we are way over here where no one there can see.

Women here can work you see, children starting school.
We built a working government, we've broken Taliban rule.

We are so close to winning this, it's not too far away
History will show that we were in the right to stay.

When that brilliant day arrives, victory you'll claim is ours
You'll forget you said to run away - forget you are a coward.

On that day just thank me for my courage and my trouble,
Find another place that needs help, and send me on the double.

by Josh Forbes

Calgary, Alberta

CANADIAN SOLIDERS

RULES OF COMBAT: RULE # 1

For the Family, Loved Ones, and Friends of Pte. Patrick Lormand

Private Patrick Lormand was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle on a road in Panwjai District.The incident occurred approximately 10 kilometres South-West of Kandahar City at around 1:00 p.m., Kandahar time, on 13th September, 2009. Patrick Lormand was from the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e RÈgiment based in Valcartier, Quebec. Private Lormand was serving as a member of the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e RÈgiment Battle Group, Quebec. HE was promoted posthumously to the rank of Corporal

In this the darkest hour

Of a parent’s loving time

We pray dear Lord

Please quell their pain

Though we know that you won’t find

Any comfort at this moment

As this unfolds on you

This loss, this empty feeling

Has engulfed you through and through

Please know our hearts

Are standing near

Wishing we could be

Holding you to help you stand

For he stood for all you see

For your young man stepped forth to show

So many a new way

Stepped forth to guide, to defend

Lead others to freedom’s gate

Young Patrick is a hero

A hero through and through

For he stepped forth where few would go

A helping hand to lend you know

Went forth endured the hardships

Most could never comprehend

Stepped forth with a smile that lit

The faces of his fellow man

Always a smile always in cheer

To lose a smile so bright

Has touched the heart the soul of those

Who smiled at his sight

They will not lose the laughter

We can never ever forget

These young men who have stepped forth

To overcome the terrors our world has met

They saw the picture differently

Like so many others near

They felt the difference they could make

For them it is so very clear

He joined our forces stood so tall

So brave a brotherhood

Tis hard to see him taken from

Those who do for us such good

We pray lord send your angels

To lift and take him home

That those who went before him

Will greet and show he’s not alone

Please smile upon his family

Friends and loved ones too

Let them know he will be so near

To them in all they do

Your efforts will not be forgotten.

You are Canada, and you and your fellow troops are in our hearts.

Pte. Patrick Lormand we knew you not, but our prayers reach out for you, your loved ones, friends, and fellow soldiers.

We do, so dearly, thank you and your loved ones for your efforts towards making our world a better place.

***

By: Roger Borchert

QW - THE FIELD ARTILLERY

"There is NO job in the Field Artillery for the weak, the timid or the indecisive."

- Unknown

PW - THE FALLEN SOLDIER, ALL ALONE

***

Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home.

Trickling Down His Face A Tear,

Forgetting How It Feels To Fear

Death And All It's Fate And Glory.

Now It's Here, No Need To Worry.

Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home

He's One Of Those They'll All Forget;

The Life He Lived, The Goals He Set,

The Ones He Loved, The Ones Who Wait

To See His Nearly Forgotten Face.

Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home

Now Breathing's Just A Waste Of Breath

And Living's Just A Waste Of Death

As He Searches For A New Address;

A Brand New Home Free Of Loneliness.

Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home

Lying Motionless On The Ground,

The Battle Raging All Around.

For Now He Is Not All Alone.

This Fallen Soldier Is Welcomed Home.

***

-Unkown Author-

BLITZKRIEG

DEATH OF A POLICEMAN

Comdr Hussein & a member of a the POMLT

***

During a tour overseas a person is involved in many things and with many people that form long lasting memories. Many are funny, exciting and happy memories. More recently our involvement has lead to many losses, which only leave us with those memories.

**

We always remember our friends and comrades from home that have been lost but those who work along side us over here are sadly overlooked. Those who want a better life for their family and friends; those who stand along side us when bullets are whining overhead; and those who share a meal and a friendly laugh with us.

**

Recently we have lost one of our own; a man who welcomed us to his home; who supported us and who treated us like one of his own. A Commander Hussein of the Afghan National Police stationed in the Zharay District, Kandahar Province was ambushed while on a foot patrol and lost his life.

**

We just wanted to acknowledge his dedication and professionalism to his country and to us when we had the pleasure to working together.

***

May God be with…RIP

HONOR

A poem written in thoughts of the loss of Maj. Yannick Pepin and Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin

***

Maj. Yannick Pepin and Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin were killed by a powerful roadside bomb blast hit their armoured vehicle on 6 Sept 2009 on a road southwest of Kandahar, around noon local time in the Dand district.

***

As we look forward to the harvest

Tis that time of year

When nature paints its beauty

As new colours now appear

We recall that spring unfolded

And blossomed forth the new

And summer brought its sunshine

And all about us grew

It is so hard to see this good

When news of a tragic loss

Tells of those who have stepped forth

And paid for us such cost

They allowed for all to rest assured

That freedom stands between

The terror and this nation’s gates

To keep us safely screened

They stepped forth to change

A future for a country in distress

To place a glimpse of freedom in

An eye, a mind, that’s been oppressed

Oh Lord the cost, this task we sent

Our precious youth to bare

Is breaking hearts and bringing tears

To so many families near

Let us not forget their anguish

Let us not forget their pain

Let us stand, be ready, let them know

Their loss is not in vain

We must know the endless tears which flow

From a broken hearted mom

A father who shows not the tears

But feels them every one.

**

Remember the loss the pain that’s felt

By a child who wished them near

To help to bring their future forth

And quell their endless fears

A spouse who’s left with shattered dreams

A loved one who feels the same

A friend who holds the memories of

More times that should have been

Oh yes there is such emptiness

That we must help to share

For if we Canada remain not near

Then why becomes not clear

Rest easy our fallen heroes

Our brave and precious ones

Who’ve stepped forth for all

A better world to make

For each and everyone

Your efforts will not be forgotten.

*

You are Canada, and you and your fellow troops are in our hearts.

***

Maj. Yannick Pepin and Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin we knew you not, but our prayers reach out for you, your loved ones, friends, and fellow soldiers.

*

We do, so dearly, thank you and your loved ones for your efforts towards making our world a better place.

***

By: Roger Borchert

the GOOD...

Don't try to be a good man, just be a man, and let history decide"

- Zefram Cochran

Scout personnel of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada. These men have killed a total of 101 men through sniping operations. 9 Oct 1944, Camp de Brasschaet, Belgium.

RAW

PW - HERE LIES A SOLDIER

As I mourn at the graves of a million men,

The sky turns to black then back to blue again,

My tears are not that of pain and sorrow,

But the pride for those warriors who fought for tomorrow.

The trust in each other to bring them home safe,

Received an end to there life, or a life filled with pain,

For to live with such memories, and never forget,

Is to survive with the thoughts of your comrades last breath.

For the years they have fought, while blinded from truth,

Quickly leaving behind there precious short youth.

Some know not their struggle, there battles, there war,

Sad, we shall not here there voices anymore.

As I mourn for the grief of a million men,

The march of the soldiers shall begin,

My tears are not that of pain and sorrow,

But the pride of those warriors who fought for tomorrow.

***

***

And all of those men alive or broken,

I give my praise, so loudly spoken,

Because our pride is enough, even to drown,

The pain of our soldiers, there cries all around.

Some never take notice, of those brave men,

While standing on soil, they died to defend,

Some peoples ignorance is remarkable, there selfishness more,

They live on this land, without living through war.

But as I stand, I mourn for my brother's,

To join in there fight, took no time to ponder,

As i see there names, carved deep in the stone,
Here lies a soldier, that is never alone.

***
By: Adam Stratil
***

Dedicated to Cpl Chad O'Quinn, 2 Headquarters & Signal Squadron

Killed in Action, March 3rd, 2009

GIRLS & GUNS

Symphony of Desrtuction

PW - NO EASY TASK

We can't bend to oppression

Terrorism we must fight

Ignoring their challenge

Could never be right.

*

With fear they control

They conquer the weak

Conflict they bring to us

It's not something we seek

*

*

Now faced with this burden

We cannot walk away

It's no easy task

But there's no other way
*

So whether it's the long haul

Or a short term for peace

Our Troops protect the innocent

As we pray fighting will cease

***

by Nancy Crossman

Crash - Tactical Armoured Cab

PW - THE INFANTRYMAN

The Infantryman

He was born of the earth, on the day he enlists
He is sentenced to life on the soil,
To march on it, crawl on it, dig in it, sprawl on it,
Sleep in it after his toil.

Bee it sand, rock or ice, gravel, mud or red loam
He will fight on it, and die,
And the crude little cross, telling men of his loss
Will cry mutely to some foreign sky.

He’s the tired looking man in untidy garb
Weather-beaten, footsore with fatigue,
But his spirit is strong, as he marches along
With burdens for league upon league.

He attacks in the face of murderous fire
Crawling forward, attacking through mud.
When he breaks through the line, over wire and mines
On the point of his bayonet is blood.

Should you meet him, untidy, begrimed and fatigued
Don’t indulge in unwarranted mirth.
For the brave infantryman deserves more than your sneer,
He is truly the salt of the earth.

-A Gunner-

10 signs you might be a Taliban

10. You refine heroin for a living, but you have a moral objection to beer.

9. You own a $300 machine gun and a $5,000 rocket launcher, but you can't afford shoes.

8. You have more wives than teeth.

7. You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.

6. You can't think of anyone you HAVEN'T declared Jihad against.

5. You consider television dangerous, but routinely carry ammunition in your robe.

4. You've never been asked, 'Does this burka make my ass look big?'

3. You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.

2. A common compliment is, 'I love what you've done with your cave.'

And, the NUMBER ONE SIGN you might be a member of the Taliban:

1. You wipe your ass with your bare hand, but consider bacon unclean.

The Canadian Soldier

He is profane and irreverent,

living as he does in a world full of capriciousness,

frustration and disillusionment.

He is perhaps the best-educated of his kind in history,

but will rarely accord respect on the basis of mere degrees or titles.

He speaks his own dialect,

often incomprehensible to the ...layman.

He can be cold, cruel,

even brutal and is frequently insensitive.

Killing is his profession

and he strives very hard to become even more skilled at it.

His model is the grey, muddy,

hard-eyed slayer who took the untakeable at Vimy Ridge,

endured the unendurable in the Scheldt and held the unholdable at Kapyong.

He is a superlative practical diplomat;

his efforts have brought peace to countless countries around the world.

He is capable of astonishing acts of kindness,

warmth and generosity.

He will give you his last sip of water on a parched day

and his last food to a hungry child;

he will give his very life for the society he loves.

Danger and horror are his familiars and his sense of humour is accordingly sardonic.

What the unknowing take as callousness is his defence against the unimaginable;

he whistles through a career filled with graveyards.

His ethos is one of self-sacrifice and duty.

He is sinfully proud of himself,

of his unit and of his country

and he is unique in that his commitment to his society is Total.

No other trade or profession dreams of demanding such of its members

and none could successfully try.

He loves his family dearly,

sees them all too rarely and as often as not loses them to the demands of his profession.

Loneliness is the price he accepts for the privilege of serving.

He accounts discomfort as routine and the search for personal gain as beneath him;

he has neither understanding of nor patience for those motivated by self-interest,

politics or money.

His loyalty can be absolute,

but it must be purchased.

Paradoxically,

the only coin accepted for that payment is also loyalty.

He devours life with big bites,

knowing that each bite might be his last and his manners suffer thereby.

He would rather die regretting the things he did than the ones he dared not try.

He earns a good wage by most standards and,

given the demands on him,

is woefully underpaid.

He can be arrogant,

thoughtless and conceited,

but will spend himself,

sacrifice everything for total strangers in places he cannot even pronounce.

He considers political correctness a podium for self-righteous fools,

but will die fighting for the rights of anyone he respects or pities.

He is a philosopher and a drudge,

an assassin and a philanthropist,

a servant and a leader,

a disputer and a mediator,

a Nobel Laureate peacekeeper and the Queen's Hitman,

a brawler and a healer,

best friend and worst enemy.

He is a rock,

a goat,

a fool,

a sage,

a drunk,

a provider,

a cynic and a romantic dreamer.

Above it all,

he is a hero for our time.

You, pale stranger,

sleep well at night only because he exists for you,

the citizen who has never met him,

has perhaps never thought of him and may even despise him.

He is both your child and your guardian.

His devotion to you is unwavering.

He is a Canadian soldier.

Video Made For Facebook Groups: Support Wounded Canadian Soldiers - Group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70038643684

Canadian Forces - Group

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47548751530

In respect of the loss Cpl. Christian Bobbitt and Sapper Matthieu Allard

***

Cpl Bobbit & Cpl Allard were killed on 4 Aug 2009, by a roadside bomb in the Zharay District of Kandahar province
***

I look upon their photos see a sparkle in their eyes

Of gifted caring warriors and then I read that they have died

I cannot turn my heart away

I cannot quell the tears

For these young men have stepped between

Our world’s terror and the meek

They have heard their country’s calling

Our Lord knows the reason why

And most of us don’t get it

Or rarely even try

To stand up for a world in need

To stand for what is right

To stand before a cowards threat

That won’t come out in a fight

To stand for what’s so very pure

Place their lives upon the line

For all that they believed in

Showed a heart that’s so divine

Dear Lord please send your angels

To gently bring them forth

Lay them near and coddle them

They’re truly more than what we’re worth

Please oh lord

Please quell the pain

Their families will endure

And help them through this troubled time

They truly need you near

And Canada stand, stead fast beside

For so many share this pain

Do not forget this grief so needs

A shoulder upon which to cry

Your efforts will not be forgotten.

*

You are Canada, and you and your fellow troops are in our hearts.

***

Cpl. Christian Bobbitt and Sapper Matthieu Allard we knew you not, but our prayers reach out for you, your loved ones, friends, and fellow soldiers.

*

We do, so dearly, thank you and your loved ones for your efforts towards making our world a better place.

***

By: Roger Borchert

In Respect of the Loss of MCpl. Pat Audet & Cpl Martin Joannette

So very sad this week’s become for Canada weeps again

We cannot rest, our prayers flow forth

We need to stop this chain

These events have shattered our hearts and minds

As well it’s shattered theirs

Our Soldiers, our hearts who’ve stepped forth to serve

This has touched their deepest nerve

For to watch or learn of a friend so close

Lost in their efforts to defend

A better world, a kinder place

With a respect for all mankind

A world that stands and walks beside

Those needing to stand up on their own

Those who’ve been pushed and prodded down

That they feel safe within their home

Oh Lord though accidents happen

In these such dangerous tasks

It’s so hard to reconcile this loss

With so many in recent past

Of a country which thrives within in peace

They’ve stepped forth their light to shine

To show a world a better way

A right for all mankind

They will not be forgotten

These sons of Canada

The measure of this loss so dear

Such a burden to all of us

Your efforts will not be forgotten.

You are Canada, and you and your fellow troops are in our hearts.

***

***

MCpl Audet & Cpl Joannette were killed on 6 Jul 2009 when their Griffon helicopter crashed.

***

Master Cpl. Pat Audet and Cpl. Martin Joannette, we knew you not, but our prayers reach out for you, your loved ones, friends, and fellow soldiers. We do, so dearly, thank you and your loved ones for your efforts towards making our world a better place.

***

By: Roger Borchert

The Borchert Family Slave Lake Alberta

PW - FROM JUNO TO FALAISE

From Juno to Falaise

From Canada's shore in forty four,

went a soldier brave and true.

To the northern sea of Normandy

in the muggy month of June.

To fight for right and liberty

--To freedom's banner raise

--To overtake the Germans' stakefrom Juno to Falaise.

By shattered moon on the 6th of June

he hit the Juno shore.

By firm of will, he climbed the hill

amidst the cruel of war.

Through marshy reeds and fiery mead

she brooked the

-- Longest Days.

His strength was spent, yet on he went

from Juno to Falaise.

With endless woe, he pressed the foe

he won the streets of Caen.

Falaise he capped and closed the gap.

Morning brought new dawn.

--Lest we Forget, for freedom's debt

the price one always pays.

Of those who lay along the way

from Juno to Falaise

With victory won, a gift, has come

freely from the hand,

of one who gave his all, to save

this battled-weary land.

And Canada's best was laid to rest

at Bretteville on the Laize.

In a quiet grave, beside the way

from Juno to Falaise.

Reason: In credit to those men of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, who, with great sacrifice, embarked on Juno Beach, June 6th 1944, and the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division 4th Canadian Armored Division who pursued the campaign to Victory at Falaise.

Especially Uncle Francis of the 17th Duke of Yorks' Royal Canadian Hussars. 'May he rest in Honor' Canadian War Memorial Cemetary, 'Bretteville Sur Laize' on the road to Falaise "Though Lost to View-To Memory Dear" Francis (Danny) Lyman Burrows.

by Dave Burrows

On Assignment in Afghanistan: Maritimers at War

Description:

While the Maritimes represent only about seven percent of Canada’s population, approximately 35 percent of the troops stationed in Afghantistan call one of the Maritime provinces home. On Assignment in Afghanistan includes dramatic and moving photographs of the Maritime soldier’s experience serving in the war, photographs that capture life on the base, work and play, and staying connected to home. After one week of survival training in Virginia, two Chronicle Herald staff members, photographer Christian Laforce and reporter Chris Lambie, travelled to Afghanistan where they were embedded with troops at the Canadian Base that surrounds the airport in Khandahar. They spent one month meeting and interacting with hundreds of soldiers from the Maritimes, most of whom arrived in Khandahar via the base at Gagetown, New Brunswick. The journalists were privy to the day-to-day lives of the soldiers, living life on the base as they do and going with them on patrols.

The book will reprint the best articles and reports from the Chronicle Herald as well as all-new material for those of us back home attempting to understand the challenges troops face in their work as soldiers, especially so far from home. Accounts from the soldiers themselves, as well as stories about the support they receive from family, friends and strangers across the Maritimes are included. For everyone who knows someone serving overseas, for everyone who wants to understand how the troops cope with the tragedies and the politics of war, On Assignment in Afghanistan will provide a firsthand account of what life is like for Maritimers at war.

Sask. profs slam scholarship for fallen soldiers' children

A group of professors in Saskatchewan are criticizing a scholarship that's being offered to the children of fallen Canadian soldiers, calling it a "glorification of Canadian imperialism in Afghanistan."

Sixteen University of Regina professors have drafted an open letter to school president Vianne Timmons, stating their concerns.

"It's about associating heroism with the military intervention of Afghanistan," said Jeffrey Webber, a political-science professor at the school. "We think it's aligning a public university -- without any consultation with its students or staff, or the broader community -- with support for this war."

The program, called Project Hero, provides financial aid for children of Canadian Forces personnel who die while serving in an active mission

(for more on the story click here)

By Josh Campbell, Regina Leader-Post; Canwest News Service

Mississauga names park for fallen soldier Marc Diab

The City of Mississauga has renamed a local park in honour of Trooper Marc Diab,

who died in a roadside bomb explosion north of Kandahar a year ago.

Posted @ the Nation Post: March 10, 2010, 4:41 PM by Rob Roberts

By Megan O’Toole, National Post

PW - The Fallen Soldier, Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home.

Trickling Down His Face A Tear,

Forgetting How It Feels To Fear

Death And All It's Fate And Glory.

Now It's Here, No Need To Worry.

Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home

He's One Of Those They'll All Forget;

The Life He Lived, The Goals He Set,

The Ones He Loved, The Ones Who Wait

To See His Nearly Forgotten Face.

Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home

Now Breathing's Just A Waste Of Breath

And Living's Just A Waste Of Death

As He Searches For A New Address;

A Brand New Home Free Of Loneliness.

Fallen Soldier All Alone

Fallen Soldier Far From Home

Lying Motionless On The Ground,

The Battle Raging All Around.

For Now He Is Not All Alone.

This Fallen Soldier Is Welcomed Home.

by Branden Hidalgo

I Face the Foe In Darkness

"I face the foe in darkness,
on a sandy white beach
facing the hidden foe.
I face the foe in darkness, with no fear.

I face the foe in darkness,
with no fear of Death's Embrace
the last cold embrace man will know.

I run up to a fence off death;
my black weapon of death wielded in my dirty hands.
I face the foe in Darkness,
using all my rage against the foe.

Thee un up to the walls of stone of thy foe,

and I fall with thy comrades.
Thence I have fallen with my friends,
in mighty battle."

The hearse bearing Capt. Matthew Dawe

leaves the Royal Military College in Kingston

on the way to the funeral service

by Noel Micheal Guscott

Noel was inspired by they men and women of the Canadian Forces and their dedication especially due to the long line of Military history in his family.

He wrote this poem shortly after the passing of Capt Matthew Dawe seen below.

I Face the Foe In Darkness (Part Two)

"Now I face the foe In darkness,
thence I have died;
I do still stand at my men's right side.
I face the foe In darkness.

Forever more in spirit.
Now the men come crashing down on the foe's halls of stone!
Yelling, screamin their rage!
While the dead provide light for their way, courage,
and all other things that they can provide.

Hail!
Hail the dead!
Hail the living!
Alas!
The foe in darkness has fallen beneath my friend's feet;
they celebrate now, before they move on.
Thence the foe in darkness has fallen."

by Noel Micheal Guscott


Capt Matthen Dawe,

MAY YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS IN ARMS REST IN PEACE

Kandahar Airfield without Canadiana

Beyond its troops and tanks, Canada casts a long shadow at Kandahar Airfield, the hub of the coalition's Afghan mission.
There's the Canadian gym, popular among the nearly 20,000 soldiers from other countries. So too is the on-base Tim Hortons, owned and operated by the Canadian Forces. The base's prominent Canadian-built hockey pad is home to a house league, which is dominated, naturally, by Canadian teams.
KAF is heavy on its Can-con, all of it built since Kandahar became the focus of Canada's Afghan mission in 2006. But with Canadian combat troops set to withdraw next summer, coalition countries face a cold reality: KAF without Canada. (read more =>)

Oh Canada, In respect of the loss of Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick

An injured soldier who returned home to Edmonton died from his wounds surrounded by family. The 21 year old infantryman was a member of the PPCLI. He had been injured by an I.E.D on March 6. Let us not forget all the injured soldiers who live and face new challenges everyday, and let us not forget Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick. His efforts were not for nothing.Rest in Peace

So deeply sorry to hear the news

Of the loss of another son

Oh Canada we’d have held you near

Our oh so precious one... See More

We thank you lord for seeing him home

To the country of his birth

We thank you lord for bringing him home

To those for whom he served

We thank you he had the loving arms

Of his family gathered near

That he could rest in the loving arms

Of his loved ones standing near

Oh Canada, for you are he

So much more than all of us

Oh Canada you have given so much

On behalf of all of us

Oh Canada we feel so cheated

For we knew not of your plight

Or so proudly we would have been there

Standing quietly out of sight

We would have held a vigil

Held you close within our thoughts

We would have held you closely near

In our prayers and in our hearts

Thank you son, Oh Canada

For me that is your name

For you’re the son who was welcomed home

And we knew not that you came

We thank you lord, he made it home

To his country, to his land

We thank you for your loving gift

Of this brave Canadian

Please Lord send your angels

Carry him gently hold him tight

That he may rest in the loving hearts

Of those he shared throughout his life

Let them know we are so grateful

For the sacrifice that he gave

To make our world a better place

Amongst a country he sought to save

Your efforts Darren will not be forgotten.

You are Canada, and you and your fellow troops are in our hearts.

Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick, we knew you not, but our prayers reach out for you, your loved ones, friends, and fellow soldiers. We do, so dearly, thank you and your loved ones for your efforts towards making our world a better place.

By: Roger Borchert

For the Family, Loved Ones, Friends and Fellow Soldiers of Sgt. John Wayne Faught

He was a soldier’s soldier crusty to the edge
He led and guided younger ones
Safely kept until and when
To bring them home when their duty done
He died doing duty’s task
On behalf of a country so very proud
Now hurting at his pass
The hearts that pound, the tears that flow
He looks on from angel’s arms
And growls a laugh, Stand proudly lads
Until your duty’s passed
Weep not for me for now I’ll rest
In eternal loving arms
In hearts across a nation
Near mountains, seas and farms
In cities where we went to share
In the company of having fun
For we’ve enjoyed those very things
We’ve tried to pass along
To a nation buried in an evil dust
Of terror, hate, and war
That hasn’t had the chance to pass
Through freedoms opening door
So proud he walked the sands of time
So proud to give his all
To protect and place his life between
This terror and us all
They say John was gruff
Tough as Sergeants come
But for each and every one
To these youth he led in danger’s way
A father he’d become
They placed a trust a bond in him
As each do in that brotherhood
He will be missed by all those near
For what he taught to them was good
Oh Canada we rise salute
A soldier coming home
A son who rose to challenge’s hand
A soldier’s soldier it is wrote
For his family, friends, and loved ones
We pledge a solemn vow
To remember and hold high the torch
He’s carried forth for us till now

Your efforts John, will not be forgotten. You are Canada, and you and your fellow troops are in our hearts.

Sgt. John Wayne Faught we knew you not, but our prayers reach out for you, your loved ones, friends, and fellow soldiers. We do, so dearly, thank you and your loved ones for your efforts towards making our world a better place.

By: Roger Borchert

Fifteen Days: Stories Of Bravery, Friendship, Life And Death From Inside The New Canadian Army

Description:

Long before she made her first trip to Afghanistan as an embedded reporter for The Globe and Mail, Christie Blatchford was already one of Canada’s most respected and eagerly read journalists. Her vivid prose, her unmistakable voice, her ability to connect emotionally with her subjects and readers, her hard-won and hard-nosed skills as a reporter–these had already established her as a household name. But with her many reports from Afghanistan, and in dozens of interviews with the returned members of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and others back at home, she found the subject she was born to tackle. Her reporting of the conflict and her deeply empathetic observations of the men and women who wear the maple leaf are words for the ages, fit to stand alongside the nation’s best writing on war.It is a testament to Christie Blatchford’s skills and integrity that along with the admiration of her readers, she won the respect and trust of the soldiers. They share breathtakingly honest accounts of their desire to serve, their willingness to confront fear and danger in the battlefield, their loyalty towards each other and the heartbreak occasioned by the loss of one of their own. Grounded in insights gained over the course of three trips to Afghanistan in 2006, and drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews not only with the servicemen and -women with whom she shared so much, but with their commanders and family members as well, Christie Blatchford creates a detailed, complex and deeply affecting picture of military life in the twenty-first century.

Reviews:

“Blatchford has the rare ability to make her descriptions of combat, particularly those involving loss of life and serious injury, almost embarrassing to the reader. You feel that you are eavesdropping on very private matters. Her extensive research and her own recollections as she was caught up in the thick of some of the heaviest fighting are compelling, gut-wrenching and, unfortunately, real. . . . She walked the walk. . . . Blatchford’s hundreds of hours of interviews in Canada have produced a rare, intimate look at how individual families coped with an early-morning knock on the door, and the presence of a unit officer and a padre with devastating news, or having a vehicle chase down a father out for a jog with a request that he get in and return home because ‘the Army is at your house.’. . . As someone who has been to Afghanistan visiting our troops a couple of times, I learned more about the performance of our soldiers from reading Blatchford’s book then [sic] I did from being on the ground for short stays. . . . I’ve never felt prouder of being Canadian then when I’ve had the pleasure of commanding, or, in the case of Afghanistan, observing Canadian soldiers performing their duties abroad. Fifteen Days reinforced that pride even more. Bravo Zulu, Christie Blatchford.”

— Major-General Lewis MacKenzie (ret’d) in The Globe and Mail

“Her work, at its best, tends to reflect life’s mirror. There is death in her book, of course. It’s about war, after all — our war, to those who support it, and our soldiers, even to those who don’t. Blatch [sic] gives them more than just faces, she gives them life. And, for those who died wearing Canada’s uniform, she gives them a life that no newspaper has the length and space to describe, and no television documentary can convey in an hour’s time slot.”

— London Free Press

“Christie Blatchford brings to the theatre of hostilities her keen eye and curiosity. She writes superb prose that conveys the experience of the Canadians’ war in Afghanistan. She understands the soldiers and has grasped the comradeship that binds them together. She not only informs Canadians of today’s military realities, but champions values such as honour and sacrifice. She is exceptionally evocative, superbly descriptive, and develops a compelling storyline.”

- Citation from the 2006 Ross Munro Media Award

“Sandstorms, killer heat, sneak suicide attacks, rotten food, bites from five-foot snakes, death of buddies, can’t tell the enemy from friends - a tough and deadly war, yet Blatchford shows how our troops soldier on with no complaints. You will be involved in conversations with the troops that could only be gathered first hand. This book will open your eyes to this brutal war and it is worthy of our brave young men and women. It is a tough book written by a tough broad who tells it like it is. I could not put the book down.”

- Don Cherry

“Fifteen Days is by far the most deeply personal and startlingly honest account of Canadian soldiers since they first stepped foot in Afghanistan. Uninhibited by the official line, the troops hold nothing back, proving over and over why they are the best PR agents in the military; they also have the most to lose. By earning their confidence and respect, Christie Blatchford has delivered a candid and often painful account of their most difficult days. She is a master at capturing the truth of a moment, the humour and the heartbreak. The book is so vivid that I could feel the unbearable weight of the fallen. “

- Lisa LaFlamme, National Affairs Correspondent, CTV National News

PW - I Stand

I Stand for You

When terror grips you,

and the fabric of civility tears,

I stand for you.

On foreign soil,

where peace is but a whispered hope,

I stand for you.

As bullets fly like bees,

and hateful bombs explode

Threatening to steal my sanity – I stand for you.

I carry broken bodies back to be mended, and

No matter how hard I try – The tears fall like rain,

and still through all the pain,

I stand for you.

That is until I fall, and I wonder,

as I lay cold and Still...Will you remember,

and stand for me?

- Unknown -

QW - ARTILLERY'S TWO PEOPLE

"Artillerymen believe the world consist of two types of people; other Artillerymen and targets."

- Unknown

WE MAY NOT WIN AT THE OLYMPICS BUT WE TOOK GOLD IN AFGHANISTAN

Canadians beat Americans in Afghan ball hockey game!!

GO TEAM, GO!!!

QW - WOMEN SOLDIERS

"We have women in the military, but they don’t put us in the front lines. They don’t know if we can fight, if we can kill. I think we can. All the General has to do is walk over to the women and say 'you see that enemy over there? They say you look fat in those uniforms'"

- Elayne Boosler - comedian

Corporal Joshua Caleb Baker

Age: 24
Hometown: Edmonton, Alta
Unit: Loyal Edmonton Regiment 4th Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
Deceased: February 12, 2010
Incident: Training Accident, Kandahar City, Afghanistan

Contact Charlie: The Canadian Army, The Taliban and the Battle that Saved Afghanistan

Description:

From May through August 2006, Canadian soldiers fought a running battle against Taliban insurgents in the Panjwayi district southwest of Kandahar, the Afghan provincial capital. In the most intense fighting the Canadian army has conducted since the Korean War, the Taliban offensive was defeated, checking their goal to break NATO’s tenuous resolve by occupying Kandahar, however briefly. Contact Charlie, by National Post reporter and army reserve officer Chris Wattie, recounts the Battle of Panjwayi, focusing on Charlie Company of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, with whom Wattie was embedded for eight weeks in early 2006. Wattie’s book is an extraordinarily intense minute-by-minute account of the major engagements from the point of view of the Canadian soldiers who fought them. We tread familiar, but nonetheless inspiring, ground reading about courage, fear, determination, frustration, sorrow, and professionalism. Although clearly a battle narrative, Contact Charlie contains little history or true reportage, and is unrepentantly biased. Add in the breathless tone, and the book is, ultimately, a tribute to those Canadians who have chosen to fight on behalf of Canada. Even a tribute, though, requires some sense of legitimacy, and Contact Charlie often strains credibility. The lack of annotation, and the apparently perfect recall of the soldiers, suggests that Wattie has amplified the tone, if not the facts, of the battle for dramatic effect. Nonetheless, the book will inform those interested about combat in Afghanistan, and about the lives and sacrifices of our soldiers. But between the lines of heroism and professionalism is an uncomfortable truth: two years later, the Taliban are attacking Kandahar, NATO resolve is still tenuous, and Canadian soldiers are still fighting and dying in Panjwayi.

Reviews:

“In the summer of 2006 the Taliban were poised to take back their Jerusalem, Kandahar City. They didn’t figure on 1 PPCLI. Chris Wattie’s outstanding effort lets us eavesdrop on the intense battles that saved the city, the country and NATO itself, and should make every Canadian proud of our country’s sacrifice in the name of freedom.”

—Lewis MacKenzie, Major-General (ret’d), Commanding Officer 1PPCLI, 1977–1979

“Way beyond the perceived access of embedded reporting, Contact Charlie brings the boots on the ground view in Afghanistan closer than anyone outside the Canadian Forces has ever seen it. Wattie’s account of the battle for the Panjwayi is reminiscent of war correspondence from such giants as Ross Munro, Matthew Halton or Bill Boss—as close to the sharp end as one can get."

—Ted Barris, journalist and author

"Many journalists try to write about military life but few possess the ability, eloquence and sheer grasp of the fleshy reality of war and soldiering that Wattie has in obvious abundance. This is reporting, military history and political analysis of the first order. Splendid and memorable—a book that should carve an honoured place in Canadian literature."

—Michael Coren, Sun Media columnist, television and radio host and best-selling author

“ Contact Charlie fills in the blanks between Canada’s military objective in Afghanistan and the dizzying transformation on the ground. It is a thorough, lucid account of how one company’s tour of duty altered so many lives. Like a magnet, Charlie Company is drawn into a fight behind every wall and Chris Wattie captures it all in meticulous detail. Each time they suit up for a ‘routine’ patrol, there is a sense of dread for what looms. Contact Charlie will survive as a testament to the soldiers who never came back and the friends who will never forget them.”

—Lisa LaFlamme, National Affairs Correspondent, CTV News

QW - CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

“Cannon to the right of them,

Cannon to the left of them,

Cannon in front of them,

Volley'ed and thundered.”

- The Charge of the Light Brigade, during the battle of Balaclava in October 1854