Rocketryan
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Rest In Peace Soldiers 
Cpl. Hamilton, Pte. Curwin and Pte. Jones - 2 RCR - 13 Dec 2008
- Thread starter ENGINEERS WIFE
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Again.. so soon from the last ones..
RIP Brothers
You will not be forgotten.
RIP Brothers
You will not be forgotten.
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 680
Flag-draped caskets return to Canada
Former resident of Baie Verte sends condolences back home from Trenton
CFB TRENTON, ONT.
TAMARA KING
The Canadian Press
Pallbearers carry the casket of Pte. Justin Jones of Baie Verte to a hearse at CFB Trenton, Ont. Tuesday. Also repatriated were Pte. John Curwin and Cpl. Thomas Hamilton. All were from the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment and based at CFB Gagetown, N.B. The soldiers were killed in Afghanistan Sunday. - Photo by The Canadian Press
A little girl was the first person Tuesday to lay a flower on the flag-draped casket of Cpl. Thomas Hamilton as his remains and those of two fellow soldiers, the latest Canadian casualties in Afghanistan, were returned to this country.
Hamilton, the father of a young daughter, Pte. John Curwin and Pte. Justin Jones were killed Saturday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their armoured vehicle while they were on patrol west of Kandahar City.
All three were members of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, based at CFB Gagetown, N.B.
The repatriation ceremony on the windswept tarmac of this eastern Ontario military base came one day after the funeral service for another Canadian soldier who died in the wartorn country.
For about an hour, the base fell quiet.
The silence of people paying their respects was broken only by a lone piper, the sounds of boots hitting the ground in a calculated march as a soldier shouted orders, and the faint sound of crying.
Each soldier was carried off a military plane separately by his comrades. Once the casket was placed into a hearse, the soldier's loved ones would gather outside the car, place flowers inside, then pause to hug each other and wipe away tears.
The little girl, who military officials did not identify, led a procession of mourners who, one by one and in groups, walked to the open hearses.
The grief extended outside the base, where a crowd of people, many dressed in red and carrying Canadian flags, gathered despite the frigid temperature to pay their respects.
Tonya Lambert, 35, lives near Trenton, but grew up in Baie Verte, the hometown of Jones.
His death is the first during the Afghan mission for the tiny community, Lambert said.
"This one is the hardest," she said. "You see the soldiers die, but you never think it would hit home. This is the first time it's hit our home.
"My heart goes out to the family and my hometown. Everyone's just so sad."
William McQuay, 74, was also among those gathered outside the base and said he felt "very sorry for the families."
"It's a real sad thing. I feel in my heart the Armed Forces shouldn't be over there. And yet there's still young guys signing up.
"I have a scrapbook of them all from Day 1 till now."
Tuesday's repatriation ceremony was the second at the base in as many weeks.
It came the day after a funeral service for the last of three Canadian soldiers killed the previous week, also by an explosive device.
Warrant Officer Robert Wilson of Keswick, Ont., was remembered at a private service held at CFB Petawawa. Cpl. Mark McLaren of Peterborough, Ont., and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros of Toronto were buried last week.
Since 2002, 103 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died during the Afghanistan mission.
Seventeen Canadians have died as a result of improvised explosive device attacks this year alone.
Jones had returned home to Baie Verte shortly before the roadside bomb ended his life.
During his two weeks at home, he had marked an early Christmas, his 21st birthday and his grandparents' 50th anniversary.
Jones was on his first tour in Afghanistan, where he had been deployed in August. He had been expected to stay until February or March.
Hamilton, 26, was born in Truro, N.S., and grew up in Upper Musquodoboit, about 30 minutes outside Halifax on the province's eastern shore.
Curwin, a father of three, grew up in Mount Uniacke, N.S. He and his wife Laura lived in Oromocto, N.B.
His parents described their son as "forever the good guy."
They said their son met his wife when they were both just 15 years old.
Tonya Lambert, Baie Verte native
Former resident of Baie Verte sends condolences back home from Trenton
CFB TRENTON, ONT.
TAMARA KING
The Canadian Press
Pallbearers carry the casket of Pte. Justin Jones of Baie Verte to a hearse at CFB Trenton, Ont. Tuesday. Also repatriated were Pte. John Curwin and Cpl. Thomas Hamilton. All were from the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment and based at CFB Gagetown, N.B. The soldiers were killed in Afghanistan Sunday. - Photo by The Canadian Press
A little girl was the first person Tuesday to lay a flower on the flag-draped casket of Cpl. Thomas Hamilton as his remains and those of two fellow soldiers, the latest Canadian casualties in Afghanistan, were returned to this country.
Hamilton, the father of a young daughter, Pte. John Curwin and Pte. Justin Jones were killed Saturday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their armoured vehicle while they were on patrol west of Kandahar City.
All three were members of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, based at CFB Gagetown, N.B.
The repatriation ceremony on the windswept tarmac of this eastern Ontario military base came one day after the funeral service for another Canadian soldier who died in the wartorn country.
For about an hour, the base fell quiet.
The silence of people paying their respects was broken only by a lone piper, the sounds of boots hitting the ground in a calculated march as a soldier shouted orders, and the faint sound of crying.
Each soldier was carried off a military plane separately by his comrades. Once the casket was placed into a hearse, the soldier's loved ones would gather outside the car, place flowers inside, then pause to hug each other and wipe away tears.
The little girl, who military officials did not identify, led a procession of mourners who, one by one and in groups, walked to the open hearses.
The grief extended outside the base, where a crowd of people, many dressed in red and carrying Canadian flags, gathered despite the frigid temperature to pay their respects.
Tonya Lambert, 35, lives near Trenton, but grew up in Baie Verte, the hometown of Jones.
His death is the first during the Afghan mission for the tiny community, Lambert said.
"This one is the hardest," she said. "You see the soldiers die, but you never think it would hit home. This is the first time it's hit our home.
"My heart goes out to the family and my hometown. Everyone's just so sad."
William McQuay, 74, was also among those gathered outside the base and said he felt "very sorry for the families."
"It's a real sad thing. I feel in my heart the Armed Forces shouldn't be over there. And yet there's still young guys signing up.
"I have a scrapbook of them all from Day 1 till now."
Tuesday's repatriation ceremony was the second at the base in as many weeks.
It came the day after a funeral service for the last of three Canadian soldiers killed the previous week, also by an explosive device.
Warrant Officer Robert Wilson of Keswick, Ont., was remembered at a private service held at CFB Petawawa. Cpl. Mark McLaren of Peterborough, Ont., and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros of Toronto were buried last week.
Since 2002, 103 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died during the Afghanistan mission.
Seventeen Canadians have died as a result of improvised explosive device attacks this year alone.
Jones had returned home to Baie Verte shortly before the roadside bomb ended his life.
During his two weeks at home, he had marked an early Christmas, his 21st birthday and his grandparents' 50th anniversary.
Jones was on his first tour in Afghanistan, where he had been deployed in August. He had been expected to stay until February or March.
Hamilton, 26, was born in Truro, N.S., and grew up in Upper Musquodoboit, about 30 minutes outside Halifax on the province's eastern shore.
Curwin, a father of three, grew up in Mount Uniacke, N.S. He and his wife Laura lived in Oromocto, N.B.
His parents described their son as "forever the good guy."
They said their son met his wife when they were both just 15 years old.
Tonya Lambert, Baie Verte native
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 680
Friends of killed N.L. soldier paint town yellow
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 | 11:53 PM NT CBC News
Friends of a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan on the weekend have lined the streets of a small Newfoundland town with hundreds of yellow ribbons in preparation for a sad homecoming.
The body of Pte. Justin Peter Jones, 21, was expected to arrive at CFB Trenton, Ont., Tuesday. His funeral will take place in his hometown of Baie Verte, on Newfoundland's northeast coast, but details have yet to be announced.
For hours Monday, dozens of Jones's friends tied yellow ribbons on cars, trees and buildings in the small town of 1,500, and drove 200 kilometres to the larger centre of Corner Brook for more ribbon when the stores in Baie Verte ran out.
"If something happened, someone had a birthday party or someone came home, Justin went overboard with things and took it to the next level. That's what we gotta do here today," friend Matt Ford told CBC News.
The only son of Anthony and Rowena Jones, who travelled to Trenton, Ont., to meet their son's body, Jones was known as a trustworthy citizen who even at a young age volunteered in community organizations, including service groups and the local volunteer fire department.
Ford said Jones was a kind man who spent much of his time helping others.
"When he came home there this summer, just before he was going to be going over to Afghanistan for the first time, he only had three weeks home, and he spent 2½ weeks helping his grandfather put a roof on his house," Ford said.
Jones's friends remembered him as a young man who inspired others. He influenced his friend, Pte. Jeff Batt, in his decision to join the Canadian Forces.
"I figured if he could do it, I could do it. So I enrolled June 26 last year," Batt said. "And this year I'm burying one of my best friends."
Jones, Cpl. Thomas James Hamilton and Pte. John Michael Roy Curwin were killed in a blast around 9 a.m. local time as they were responding to reports people were planting a suspicious object west of Kandahar city.
Corrections and Clarifications
The date for the funeral of Pte. Justin Peter Jones has not been set for Friday, as originally reported. In fact, details of the funeral have not yet been announced.
Dec. 17, 2008|12:55 p.m. ET
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 | 11:53 PM NT CBC News
Friends of a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan on the weekend have lined the streets of a small Newfoundland town with hundreds of yellow ribbons in preparation for a sad homecoming.
The body of Pte. Justin Peter Jones, 21, was expected to arrive at CFB Trenton, Ont., Tuesday. His funeral will take place in his hometown of Baie Verte, on Newfoundland's northeast coast, but details have yet to be announced.
For hours Monday, dozens of Jones's friends tied yellow ribbons on cars, trees and buildings in the small town of 1,500, and drove 200 kilometres to the larger centre of Corner Brook for more ribbon when the stores in Baie Verte ran out.
"If something happened, someone had a birthday party or someone came home, Justin went overboard with things and took it to the next level. That's what we gotta do here today," friend Matt Ford told CBC News.
The only son of Anthony and Rowena Jones, who travelled to Trenton, Ont., to meet their son's body, Jones was known as a trustworthy citizen who even at a young age volunteered in community organizations, including service groups and the local volunteer fire department.
Ford said Jones was a kind man who spent much of his time helping others.
"When he came home there this summer, just before he was going to be going over to Afghanistan for the first time, he only had three weeks home, and he spent 2½ weeks helping his grandfather put a roof on his house," Ford said.
Jones's friends remembered him as a young man who inspired others. He influenced his friend, Pte. Jeff Batt, in his decision to join the Canadian Forces.
"I figured if he could do it, I could do it. So I enrolled June 26 last year," Batt said. "And this year I'm burying one of my best friends."
Jones, Cpl. Thomas James Hamilton and Pte. John Michael Roy Curwin were killed in a blast around 9 a.m. local time as they were responding to reports people were planting a suspicious object west of Kandahar city.
Corrections and Clarifications
The date for the funeral of Pte. Justin Peter Jones has not been set for Friday, as originally reported. In fact, details of the funeral have not yet been announced.
Dec. 17, 2008|12:55 p.m. ET
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 680
Last updated at 7:13 PM on 20/12/08
Pte. Justin Peter Jones — Photo by The Canadian Press
Funeral Tuesday for local soldier killed in battle
The Telegram
A military funeral service will be held in Baie Verte this week for Pte. Justin Peter Jones.
The funeral service will take place at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church on Dec. 23.
Jones was killed in Afghanistan after a roadside bomb destroyed the vehicle he and his platoon were travelling in.
Also killed were, Cpl. Thomas James Hamilton and Pte. John Michael Roy Curwin.
Pte. Jones’ funeral and interment will be a private, family-only ceremony.
Pte. Justin Peter Jones — Photo by The Canadian Press
Funeral Tuesday for local soldier killed in battle
The Telegram
A military funeral service will be held in Baie Verte this week for Pte. Justin Peter Jones.
The funeral service will take place at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church on Dec. 23.
Jones was killed in Afghanistan after a roadside bomb destroyed the vehicle he and his platoon were travelling in.
Also killed were, Cpl. Thomas James Hamilton and Pte. John Michael Roy Curwin.
Pte. Jones’ funeral and interment will be a private, family-only ceremony.
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 680
LOCAL NEWS
Last updated at 8:34 AM on 22/12/08
Baie Verte prepares for soldier's funeral
CORNER BROOK
JAMES MCLEOD AND CORY HURLEY
The Telegram and Transcontinental Media
The community of Baie Verte is pulling together to say goodbye to Pte. Justin Jones.
“It’s a topic of conversation wherever you go, everybody is shook up over it obviously, and being so near to Christmas,” said Mayor Gerald Acreman. “Our young people have been all over town with yellow ribbons everywhere and people on their own have just tied yellow ribbons and bows on the trees and light poles and fences.”
A public wake will be held this evening at 8 p.m. at the Catholic church in Baie Verte. A full military funeral with a Catholic mass will be held Tuesday at noon.
Jones was killed Dec. 13 while on patrol in Arghandab District, Afghan istan.
Only a few weeks earlier, he had been visiting home, celebrating his birthday and an early Christmas.
Acreman said Jones’ death has been particularly hard on the younger generation.
“He was good friends with my two kids. They hung out together and were in school together,” he said. “They went their separate ways, but even a couple of weeks ago when he was home, my young fella happened to be home from Alberta and they went out for a night, had a great time and celebrated his birthday.
“My son will be home in a couple of days time, and I’m sure it’s going to be rough for him when he comes home.”
Small procession
Jones’ body arrived in Newfoundland Friday night and was brought into his hometown just after midnight by a small military procession.
The sluggish spectacle was greeted by a couple of dozen of his closest friends and acquaintances along the main road through town, passing the hundreds of yellow ribbons and grief-stricken messages on signs along the way. The hearse carrying Jones’ body was accompanied by an SUV and a hummer into town, and local residents were waiting with the town’s two fire trucks and personal vehicles to welcome the former volunteer firefighter home.
Friday night also marked the return of Anthony and Rowena Jones, his emotionally drained parents. They had been in Ontario for about a week waiting to take their son home.
“We are coming around, I suppose,” Anthony told The Western Star via telephone from his home in Baie Verte. “We are trying to cope with it, but it is hard, real hard.”
Anthony, described by friends as a pillar of strength since their return, and Rowena had the opportunity to see their son on Saturday morning.
“It was nice to see him again,” the proud father said. “It’s hard. We just have to go now day-by-day, try to cope with it. He’s all right anyway, he’s up in heaven now.”
Draped with medals
At weekend viewings, Jones’ open casket was draped with military medals and the Canadian and Newfoundland flags, and a photo collage showcasing Jones’ life. There was a steady flow of people in and out of the funeral home throughout Saturday evening as the town finally got the chance to welcome the soldier home.
Anthony has been overwhelmed by the support the community has shown.
“I must say they are supporting us right to the tee, treating us good,” he said. “He had a lot of friends here, a lot.
“The support is nice, the house is full all the time.”
Anthony said the military was a dream come true for his son, something he and his wife had trouble accepting, but not in supporting.
“It’s something he always wanted was to be in the army and he loved it, loved every minute of it,” Anthony said. “It’s too bad it was only a short life he had, just 21, but he enjoyed every minute of that, too.”
Even after having his son taken from him, Anthony said there’s no regrets.
“That’s want he wanted,” he said. “Now, we didn’t want him to be in the military, but we wouldn’t tell him that. It was up to himself, if that’s what he wanted to do, we wouldn’t take him away from that. It was something he wanted. It could have been a bad thing for him, to take him away from it. We knew he enjoyed it so much.”
jmcleod@thetelegram.comThe Western Star
Last updated at 8:34 AM on 22/12/08
Baie Verte prepares for soldier's funeral
CORNER BROOK
JAMES MCLEOD AND CORY HURLEY
The Telegram and Transcontinental Media
The community of Baie Verte is pulling together to say goodbye to Pte. Justin Jones.
“It’s a topic of conversation wherever you go, everybody is shook up over it obviously, and being so near to Christmas,” said Mayor Gerald Acreman. “Our young people have been all over town with yellow ribbons everywhere and people on their own have just tied yellow ribbons and bows on the trees and light poles and fences.”
A public wake will be held this evening at 8 p.m. at the Catholic church in Baie Verte. A full military funeral with a Catholic mass will be held Tuesday at noon.
Jones was killed Dec. 13 while on patrol in Arghandab District, Afghan istan.
Only a few weeks earlier, he had been visiting home, celebrating his birthday and an early Christmas.
Acreman said Jones’ death has been particularly hard on the younger generation.
“He was good friends with my two kids. They hung out together and were in school together,” he said. “They went their separate ways, but even a couple of weeks ago when he was home, my young fella happened to be home from Alberta and they went out for a night, had a great time and celebrated his birthday.
“My son will be home in a couple of days time, and I’m sure it’s going to be rough for him when he comes home.”
Small procession
Jones’ body arrived in Newfoundland Friday night and was brought into his hometown just after midnight by a small military procession.
The sluggish spectacle was greeted by a couple of dozen of his closest friends and acquaintances along the main road through town, passing the hundreds of yellow ribbons and grief-stricken messages on signs along the way. The hearse carrying Jones’ body was accompanied by an SUV and a hummer into town, and local residents were waiting with the town’s two fire trucks and personal vehicles to welcome the former volunteer firefighter home.
Friday night also marked the return of Anthony and Rowena Jones, his emotionally drained parents. They had been in Ontario for about a week waiting to take their son home.
“We are coming around, I suppose,” Anthony told The Western Star via telephone from his home in Baie Verte. “We are trying to cope with it, but it is hard, real hard.”
Anthony, described by friends as a pillar of strength since their return, and Rowena had the opportunity to see their son on Saturday morning.
“It was nice to see him again,” the proud father said. “It’s hard. We just have to go now day-by-day, try to cope with it. He’s all right anyway, he’s up in heaven now.”
Draped with medals
At weekend viewings, Jones’ open casket was draped with military medals and the Canadian and Newfoundland flags, and a photo collage showcasing Jones’ life. There was a steady flow of people in and out of the funeral home throughout Saturday evening as the town finally got the chance to welcome the soldier home.
Anthony has been overwhelmed by the support the community has shown.
“I must say they are supporting us right to the tee, treating us good,” he said. “He had a lot of friends here, a lot.
“The support is nice, the house is full all the time.”
Anthony said the military was a dream come true for his son, something he and his wife had trouble accepting, but not in supporting.
“It’s something he always wanted was to be in the army and he loved it, loved every minute of it,” Anthony said. “It’s too bad it was only a short life he had, just 21, but he enjoyed every minute of that, too.”
Even after having his son taken from him, Anthony said there’s no regrets.
“That’s want he wanted,” he said. “Now, we didn’t want him to be in the military, but we wouldn’t tell him that. It was up to himself, if that’s what he wanted to do, we wouldn’t take him away from that. It was something he wanted. It could have been a bad thing for him, to take him away from it. We knew he enjoyed it so much.”
jmcleod@thetelegram.comThe Western Star
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 680
LOCAL NEWS
Last updated at 8:55 AM on 24/12/08
Slain soldier laid to rest
BAIE VERTE
CORY HURLEY
Transcontinental Media
Soldiers from, CFG Gagetown place Pte. Justin Jones' casket into a hearse following the funeral service in Baie Verte Tuesday. Jones was one of three soldiers killed by a roadside bomb 10 days ago in Afghanistan. - Photo by Cory Hurley/The Western Star
The Canadian Forces honoured one of its fallen soldiers with military honours Tuesday as a town laid to rest a son, friend and hero.
It was 10 days after Pte. Justin Peter Jones was killed in Afghanistan that he was finally laid to rest in his hometown of Baie Verte, just two days before Christmas.
The military personnel held nothing back in the farewell for the eighth Newfoundland soldier killed in the current conflict overseas.
A 21-gun salute, bagpiper, honour guard of Royal Canadian Mounted Police dressed in their distinctive scarlet red serge and a number of local Legionnaires were included in the spectacle at the St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church.
The town continued to show its support to the 21-year-old and the devastated family and friends he left behind.
Hundreds flocked to the service that resulted in an overflow of mourners gathered at the elementary school next door, where the military had a large digital projection screen showing the service.
Friends, family and the officials present were greeted in the church by a photo-collage of Jones, while the altar was decorated with an abundance of flowers, a nativity scene and a portrait of the soldier himself.
The hearse pulled into the church parking lot just before noon, and a group of soldiers from CFB Gagetown, N.B., secured the large casket, draped in the Canadian Flag, and carried it through the brisk winter winds.
Following the nearly hour-long service, the same soldiers from Jones's home base - some of whom were said to have been close to the rookie soldier - returned him to the chilling fresh air and the awaiting hearse.
A procession took to the highway through town - where yellow ribbons and bows were placed by friends along signs and tree branches.
A private, family only, interment laid Jones in his final resting place.
Military personnel said the family asked for privacy throughout the day and were not available to media, but Brig.-Gen Tony Stack issued a statement and took questions on behalf of the Canadian Forces.
"We stand with Anthony and Rowena as they honour the life of their son and only child, Justin," he said. "We also stand with Kayla Madsen as she bids goodbye to her beloved soulmate.
"Pte. Justin Jones died making a difference for Canada and Afghanistan."
Stack described Jones as an exceptional soldier, citizen and a wonderful human being who positively influenced many lives in his short time.
"He touched a lot of lives in Canada, in this community, and he was a part of something bigger than just himself in bringing peace and security to a very troubled land," he said. "His mother and father expressed to me so many times that Justin was always about somebody else, always about helping, and he lived that life. He didn't just say it, he lived it, actively here in the community, in his battalion and overseas in Kandahar."
Among those attending the funeral was area MP Gerry Byrne.
"The service was absolutely beautiful," he said.
"It was filled with respect, in a military tradition with honour, but also filled full of emotion in a family and community sense. It was a powerful send-off to an incredibly well-loved young man."
Lt.-Gov. John Crosbie also attended and spoke of the mission overseas, while Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dave Denine passed on his condolences to those in attendance on behalf of the provincial government.
In a wake held in Baie Verte Monday night, Jones's parents and girlfriend were each given a Memorial Cross, awarded to next of kin of Canadian soldiers who have died on active duty or whose death was consequently attributed to such duty.
Last updated at 8:55 AM on 24/12/08
Slain soldier laid to rest
BAIE VERTE
CORY HURLEY
Transcontinental Media
Soldiers from, CFG Gagetown place Pte. Justin Jones' casket into a hearse following the funeral service in Baie Verte Tuesday. Jones was one of three soldiers killed by a roadside bomb 10 days ago in Afghanistan. - Photo by Cory Hurley/The Western Star
The Canadian Forces honoured one of its fallen soldiers with military honours Tuesday as a town laid to rest a son, friend and hero.
It was 10 days after Pte. Justin Peter Jones was killed in Afghanistan that he was finally laid to rest in his hometown of Baie Verte, just two days before Christmas.
The military personnel held nothing back in the farewell for the eighth Newfoundland soldier killed in the current conflict overseas.
A 21-gun salute, bagpiper, honour guard of Royal Canadian Mounted Police dressed in their distinctive scarlet red serge and a number of local Legionnaires were included in the spectacle at the St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church.
The town continued to show its support to the 21-year-old and the devastated family and friends he left behind.
Hundreds flocked to the service that resulted in an overflow of mourners gathered at the elementary school next door, where the military had a large digital projection screen showing the service.
Friends, family and the officials present were greeted in the church by a photo-collage of Jones, while the altar was decorated with an abundance of flowers, a nativity scene and a portrait of the soldier himself.
The hearse pulled into the church parking lot just before noon, and a group of soldiers from CFB Gagetown, N.B., secured the large casket, draped in the Canadian Flag, and carried it through the brisk winter winds.
Following the nearly hour-long service, the same soldiers from Jones's home base - some of whom were said to have been close to the rookie soldier - returned him to the chilling fresh air and the awaiting hearse.
A procession took to the highway through town - where yellow ribbons and bows were placed by friends along signs and tree branches.
A private, family only, interment laid Jones in his final resting place.
Military personnel said the family asked for privacy throughout the day and were not available to media, but Brig.-Gen Tony Stack issued a statement and took questions on behalf of the Canadian Forces.
"We stand with Anthony and Rowena as they honour the life of their son and only child, Justin," he said. "We also stand with Kayla Madsen as she bids goodbye to her beloved soulmate.
"Pte. Justin Jones died making a difference for Canada and Afghanistan."
Stack described Jones as an exceptional soldier, citizen and a wonderful human being who positively influenced many lives in his short time.
"He touched a lot of lives in Canada, in this community, and he was a part of something bigger than just himself in bringing peace and security to a very troubled land," he said. "His mother and father expressed to me so many times that Justin was always about somebody else, always about helping, and he lived that life. He didn't just say it, he lived it, actively here in the community, in his battalion and overseas in Kandahar."
Among those attending the funeral was area MP Gerry Byrne.
"The service was absolutely beautiful," he said.
"It was filled with respect, in a military tradition with honour, but also filled full of emotion in a family and community sense. It was a powerful send-off to an incredibly well-loved young man."
Lt.-Gov. John Crosbie also attended and spoke of the mission overseas, while Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dave Denine passed on his condolences to those in attendance on behalf of the provincial government.
In a wake held in Baie Verte Monday night, Jones's parents and girlfriend were each given a Memorial Cross, awarded to next of kin of Canadian soldiers who have died on active duty or whose death was consequently attributed to such duty.
medicineman
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 5,802
- Points
- 1,110
With any luck, Tom's family will be invited to Rideau Hall to receive it with the inaugural presentations.
MM
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