World

Ramp Ceremony in Kandahar - Reporters Casket in the Lead

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | January 1, 2010 at 10:36 am

985 views | 44 Recommendations | 4 comments

Last Wednesday was the deadliest day in Afghanistan for Canadian Forces in the past two and half years. Four Canadian soldiers and on journalist were killed by an Improvised Explosive Device in Kandahar City. The soldiers were part of the Provincial Construction Team. They were on a routine patrol when the incident occurred.

The bodies are now on their way home. Hundreds of soldiers along with journalists turned out as the bodies of Michelle Lang, 34, a jouranlist with the Calgary Herald, Sgt. George Miok, 28, and Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, both of Edmonton, Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S. and Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge, Ont. were honoured in a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield.

The casket procession was lead by Michelle Lang's casket. Both military and civilian personnel were pallbearers.

Ramp Ceremonies became a tradition since the first four Canadians were killed during a night firing exercise on a training range near Kandahar Airfield in 2002. Soldiers turn out and pay their respect to their fallen comrades.

The remains of the fallen heroes will be flown to Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario, where they are normally met by their respective families, the Prime Minister or Minister of National Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff.

Once offloaded the bodies are transported along the Highway of Heroes to the Medical Examiner in Toronto and then released to the family.

The Highway of Heroes is normally lined with Canadians honouring the Fallen. Those paying their respects are police officers, firefighters, soldiers and members of the general public.

138 soldiers and two civilians have paid the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan.

The bodies of four Canadian soldiers and a journalist killed in Afghanistan are on their way home.

Thousands of soldiers turned out in bright winter sunshine Friday at Kandahar Airfield to bid farewell to the five, killed Wednesday when the vehicle they were travelling in struck an improvised explosive device in the city of Kandahar.

To the mournful strains of a piper, the five were slowly carried to a transport plane for the long flight to Canada. Both soldiers and civilians acted as pallbearers.

The casket of Calgary Herald journalist Michelle Lang, 34, was carried ahead of those of the soldiers:

Sgt. George Miok, 28, and Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, both of Edmonton.

Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S.

Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge, Ont.