We had been in Belleville, visiting with family for Christmas, and were on our way home around 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon. It was cold, windy and, from time to time as we drove, snow swirled in the wind. Mid-afternoon on a cold snowy December day. Between Trenton and Highway 404, in spite of the damp and cold, every overpass on the 401 was lined with people, waving Canadian flags, holding banners, everyone assembled to pay respects to the fallen soldier who was being brought home from Afghanistan. We were just minutes ahead of the procession. On some overpasses, fire trucks and ambulances were parked, lights flashing. Police vehicles were stationed at on-ramps along the way to stop traffic as the procession made its way. At one truck weigh station, several police cars were parked, with officers assembling to salute when the cortege passed. I had heard about the phenomenon and seen many pictures on news reports and in newspapers and magazines but this was the first time I had witnessed first hand these spontaneous gatherings on overpasses. We waved and flashed our lights at the people as we approached each overpass. It stirred my heart to see so many people, obviously cold and uncomfortable, nevertheless standing and waiting to show in a tangible way how much they appreciated what our soldiers are doing.
I couldn’t help but think of the family. Hard enough to have someone you love overseas fighting at Christmas, a time when family should be together and enjoying each other’s company but to receive that call that every military family dreads defies description. We can never truly know the agony of that unless we have experienced it.
Lt. Andrew Nuttall was 30 years old. He was killed Wednesday by a roadside bomb, while on routine foot patrol. He is the 134th Canadian solider to die in Afghanistan. His parents were at CFB Trenton from Victoria B.C. yesterday as his body arrived back in Canada.
How often we have heard those words: “killed by a roadside bomb while on routine foot patrol”. And yet the impact is still strong. May we never get used to hearing them. May we always follow the impulse to gather on overpasses to wave flags, and hold banners that express to all who see them, in some small measure, how much we appreciate the sacrifice of our soldiers. “Support our troops” is not a cliche. Showing our support for them also shows our support for Canadian families. Regardless of the various opinions about the conflict in Afghanistan, and about Canada’s involvement in it, we do well to show that we care about families and we can share in a small way the grief they feel when a member of a Canadian military family dies serving our country. Let us never forget.
