Cpl. Michael Starker, a medic of the 15th Field Ambulance Regiment, was was killed yesterday. He was on a goodwill patrol in a hotly contested district west of Kandahar when they were ambushed by Taliban militants.
Mike is Canada's 83rd soldier killed in Afghanistan since 2001. I am not sure how many Canadians know the toll that Afghanistan has taken on our military.
On April 21, 2002, Kevin Myers with the Telegraph, a British Newspaper, published an excellent article on Canada's war fatalities following the death of four Canadian soldiers after a misdirected air-attack from an allied (American) warbird.
He wrote
"Canada will now bury its dead, just as the rest of the world as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.
It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again."
Most people prefer to debate whether Canada should extend its mission or pull out. I'm ok with people having an issue with the decision to be there, but our soldiers are there, in harms way, prepared to do their jobs. They deserve our respect, our prayers and our rememberance.
The entire article can be found here.
I suggest everyone read it.
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