Rookies
12-08-2008, 07:39 PM
and I was on my way home from work, when I heard on all commentary radio station CFRB that today was a " Highway of Heroes " Honour Day. HoH is the approx 175 mile stretch of Highway from Canadian Forces base Trenton to downtown Toronto. Those recently killed in the line of fire in Afghanistan are taken immediatly via Limo hearse to the Coroner's office in Toronto for family identification and final sendoff.
The Canadian Armed Forces support groups decided some time back to rename the stretch of highway in honour of the fallen troops. Today was set up to honour 3 young lads, Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson, Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros, but also to note in passing that Canada has now lost 100 lives in that war.
I'd never gone before.
But, shortly after passing over one overpass, I did a U-turn and parked and came back the other way to the next one. Along with about 200 onlookers on this overpass, festooned with Canadian flags, I watched in silence for about 15 minutes in the frigid cold as the motorcade approached. Armed Forces personnel stood at attention, Toronto police, Fire and EMS had the lights of their vehicles truning in honour and ordinary passerbys simply stopped their vehicles in the dead of rush hour, got out and joined the commemoration.
Just remember this went on on EVERY Highway 401 overpass for ALL 175 miles ! Thousands were in attendance all the way to the final resting place.
I'm sure the families who accompanied their dead heroes appreciated the tribute.
I was duly humbled.
The Canadian Armed Forces support groups decided some time back to rename the stretch of highway in honour of the fallen troops. Today was set up to honour 3 young lads, Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson, Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros, but also to note in passing that Canada has now lost 100 lives in that war.
I'd never gone before.
But, shortly after passing over one overpass, I did a U-turn and parked and came back the other way to the next one. Along with about 200 onlookers on this overpass, festooned with Canadian flags, I watched in silence for about 15 minutes in the frigid cold as the motorcade approached. Armed Forces personnel stood at attention, Toronto police, Fire and EMS had the lights of their vehicles truning in honour and ordinary passerbys simply stopped their vehicles in the dead of rush hour, got out and joined the commemoration.
Just remember this went on on EVERY Highway 401 overpass for ALL 175 miles ! Thousands were in attendance all the way to the final resting place.
I'm sure the families who accompanied their dead heroes appreciated the tribute.
I was duly humbled.