Posted on 05/23/2005 5:28:45 PM PDT by Clive
(CP) - Four Canadians killed by U.S. friendly fire in Afghanistan were honoured Monday by American soldiers in a service that left family members in tears.
"This is a brotherhood and this is proof," said a shaken Richard Leger, father of Sgt. Marc Leger, who died on April 18, 2002, when an American fighter pilot mistakenly dropped a bomb on Canadians conducting a military exercise.
"It's a family and we're part of that family."
The names of the four, including Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith, were added to a memorial on the Fort Campbell base in Kentucky, home to Task Force Rakkasan, which served in the U.S.-led coalition against terrorism in Kandahar.
With the strains of a lone bugler mixing with helicopters flying overhead, Col. Michael Steele paid tribute to the Canadians and three American soldiers who died in Iraq.
"Freedom is not free," he told the crowd, including 180 members of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 187th Infrantry Regiment in fatigues and berets and 14 members of the 3rd Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group, based in Edmonton.
"Anyone who fights with us is a brother," said Steele. We come here to remember, not so much to grieve for the fallen, but rather to lift them up."
Relatives of the soldiers, who received regimental plaques, grew emotional during the ceremony.
"It's not a political gesture," said Nathan Smith's father, Lloyd. "This is coming from the men on the ground. This is coming from the heart. It's very important for our sons to be recognized by the rank and file."
It was the first time that names of non-U.S. soldiers were added to the Rakkasan memorial honouring Americans who died in conflicts stretching back to the Second World War.
Maj. Harry Schmidt, the Illinois National Guard pilot who dropped the bomb on the Canadians, was found guilty last year of derelection of duty. He was reprimanded, lost a month's pay and won't fly air force jets again.
The Legers framed a copy of the reprimand and hung it over their fireplace.
"There is no such thing as closure for us," said Richard. "Remembrance Day is always going to be there for us."
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Iraq? Wrong country ... try Afghanistan ... Kandahar province specifically.
Allow him to show his anger and his grief but also recognize that he accepts that the US fprces are "family".
Note that the Patricias and most of the members of the families of the soldiers were not among those howling for retribution and demanding that the pilots be charged with felonies. They wanted the pilots held accountable but accepted the charge and the penalties imposed as an appropriate measured response. It was mainly civilians, mostly those with a prior anti-US predisposition. and some CYA types, including some in the US chain of command, that wanted the more severe charges.
Reasoned post. . .I will consider.
As it was there son killed by an incompetent pilot who was only reprimanded, not jailed, and then they spoke nothing but praises for the us military, I will give them hanging the copy of the reprimand. I would want his A$$ hanging on the wall myself so I could kick it.
Hardly incompetent. . .and do a search for threads related to the incident. . .I have no interest in debating what was already debated.
>>I would want his A$$ hanging on the wall myself so I could kick it.<,
And such a tough guy, too. We are impressed.
Have a nice day.
Competent? Yes, so competent that he is no longer allowed to fly. Apparently the debate is over. And thanks for calling me a tough guy. My ego needs a boost from you.
LOL you are an air force tough guy! Now I get it.
To whom it may concern, and you know who you are, abusive freepmails could shorten your stay here.
The Patricias and Rakkisan have a lot of history going back to D-DAY. They understand and are a band of brothers. This makes me feel real good, thanks.
See Post 8.
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