These are our real Newsmakers.... and unsung heroes

Just before leaving the office for my Christmas holidays I received the following email from one of our long time employees David Higgins who works out of our Halifax office. He had just attended the funeral of a young Canadian soldier that grew up in David's community and was a very close friend of David's son. That night when I got home I happened to catch the CBC news clip of the funeral on TV and it's quite a stark reminder that we are so fortunate to live here in this Country. It's also a very sobering feeling to be reminded of these young Canadian soldiers representing us in trying to bring Peace to this crazy world, they are our real unsung heroes and today I read two more of our Canadian Soldiers were lost in Kandahar.... peace be with them and their families.

From: David Higgins [mailto:dhiggins@APM.ca]
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 2:17 PM
To: APM staff
Subject: Have a Happy and safe Holiday

This morning I attended the funeral of brave young man from my hometown, who grew up wanting to be a soldier so he could serve his country. While serving his third mission in Afghanistan, Corporal Thomas Hamilton and two of his friends were killed by an IED on December 13, 2008. Thomas was scheduled to fly home on December 25 to spend the holidays with his family, and was eagerly anticipating seeing his daughter with her new glasses for the first time, he was 26 years old.

Although Thomas knew the dangers in his job and the role he had chosen to help those in need, his death strikes a harsh reality to all of us sitting in the church this morning as his friends and family said goodbye to a son, a father, a brother, an uncle, a comrade and a best friend. Life is a precious gift which we must cherish.

My wish for all of you is to have a safe and happy holiday and take the time to be with the people you care about and whether at your job or at home please be careful .

Have a safe and happy 2009.

David

David Higgins
Safety Supervisor
APM Construction

Canadian troops bid farewell to 2 more fallen comrades at Kandahar ceremony
BY STEVE RENNIE
The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The bodies of two Canadian soldiers killed by a roadside bomb explosion in southern Afghanistan are on their way home. Hundreds of soldiers stood row by row at a twilight ramp ceremony Sunday at Kandahar Airfield to say a final farewell to their fallen comrades. Warrant Officer Gaetan Roberge and Sgt. Gregory John Kruse were killed during a security patrol in the Panjway district, in the western part of Kandahar province. The blast, which happened at around 12:15 p.m. local time, also killed an Afghan police officer and a local interpreter, and wounded four other Canadian soldiers and another Afghan interpreter. Roberge was part of the Canadian team mentoring Afghanistan’s fledgling national police force. He and the Afghan police were on a foot patrol about 25 kilometres west of Kandahar city when they came across a suspected bomb.Roberge’s team called the military’s quick reaction force, which Kruse was part of, to deal with the bomb. Military officials say there was a deadly explosion sometime after the team arrived at the scene. The injured soldiers were airlifted to Kandahar Airfield and were reported in good condition. For more on the story..http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=204875&sc=117