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Sergeant’s body bound for home

The body of a Canadian soldier who spent his youth in Red Deer was to be flown to the Canadian Forces base in Trenton, Ont., for a ramp ceremony at 2 p.m. today.
Afghanistan Canada Ramp Farewell
Comrades of fallen Canadian Sgt. Martin Goudreault line up before his casket is carried onto a plane during a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield

The body of a Canadian soldier who spent his youth in Red Deer was to be flown to the Canadian Forces base in Trenton, Ont., for a repatriation ceremony at 2 p.m. today.

Martin Goudreault — once a member of 1390 Royal Canadian Army Cadets in Red Deer and schooled in the city’s Catholic education system — was killed by a makeshift bomb during a foot patrol in the Panjwayi District in Afghanistan, about 15 km east of Kandahar.

Goudreault had been based in Edmonton, serving with the 1 Combat Engineer Regiment and was five weeks into his third tour in Afghanistan.

He was the first former member of the locally-based army cadets to be killed in Afghanistan, said Rita Wehrle, who was an officer with the local corps during Goudreault’s five years as a cadet.

From the time he entered the cadet program, it was clear that Goudreault had the dedication and work ethic necessary to become a good soldier, she said.

“He was a very keen cadet. Extremely disciplined. He thrived in the program and he certainly excelled in all of the training that we did. He was a good follower but he was just as good in terms of being a leader.”

Former peacekeeper Al Gallant was also an officer with the local cadet corps during Goudreault’s time there and had served two tours in Cyprus during his years with the Canadian Forces.

Gallant recalled sharing stories with Goudreault and looking at pictures on his laptop computer last summer, after the younger man returned from his second tour in Afghanistan.

From the time he joined the corps, Goudreault showed the makings of top soldier, said Gallant. He loved the work and he never considered another career.

“His life was the military. He dreamed of the day he would be able to join the regular forces.”

But Goudreault was turned down the first time he applied after tests showed he was colour blind. Devastated, he called Gallant for advice. He applied again and was placed with the combat engineers.

Losing a soldier is always hard, but it’s especially hard when it’s the first and when it’s one of your own group, said Wehrle. She and Gallant have been receiving numerous phone calls from former cadets and officers who share their grief.

“It’s my first experience with knowing someone that went over there that’s not coming home,” said Wehrle.

“It hits you every time, but when it’s somebody you know, it really puts a face to it all in a different sort of way. It really makes you question the whole situation more maybe than you would have if you don’t put that name to the face.”

Dignitaries including Gov.-Gen. Michaëlle Jean and Defence Minister Peter MacKay will join Goudreault’s parents for the ceremony in Trenton. Goudreault was single and had no children.

In a statement released by the Department of National Defence, Aurel and Micheline Goudreault, now living in Sudbury, Ont., said they are incredibly proud of their son.

“He was a joker who liked to kid around and he never sweated the small stuff,” said their statement.

“His priority was looking after his troops.”

bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com