Corporal Martin Dubé comes home

Two small vignettes from the war in Afghanistan. Yesterday I had the privilege of being present on the tarmac when members of 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron came home to 14 Wing, Greenwood, after a deployment in Afghanistan. Actually, since I joined the squadron after they deployed, and since they didn't know me from Adam, I mostly just nodded, said hello and helped move their baggage, and that was fine by me.

The same day, June 17th, another CF member came home. The body of Corporal Martin Dubé arrived at CFB Trenton in Ontario. He is the 120th Canadian soldier to be killed in Afghanistan, and he travelled that section of Highway 401 now known popularly as the Highway of Heroes to Toronto.



This picture of Dubé's repatriation courtesy of The Toronto Star. Read the Star's coverage of this event here.

Martin Dubé was a combat engineer, 35 years old, with the 5e Regiment du Génie de Combat based in Valcartier, Quebec.



He was attempting to defuse a roadside bomb when it exploded, killing him, an Afghan police officer, and badly wounding an Afghan interpreter. According to a story by Colin Perkel (THE CANADIAN PRESS Jun 15, 2009 04:30 AM), Candian commander Brigadier-General Vance described Dubé was someone who believed in the Afghan mission and was eager to make a difference. "The IED that Martin was dismantling could have killed an entire family, as it was deliberately aimed at passing traffic," said Vance, the senior commander in Kandahar. "His actions, his sacrifice, saved the lives of innocents."

Rest in peace, Cpl. Dubé and may light perpetual shine upon you.