the modern day somme the war of attrition rekindled in the ... · (football is a game of...
TRANSCRIPT
THE MODERN DAY
SOMME
The war of attrition
rekindled in the dust of
Afghanistan
THIS WAY TO THE
SUCK!
Photos and experiences of
serving in “The Ghan”
“WHAT’S IN A
SOLDIER?”
A poem
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
2
The Gault Press is created by the PPCLI Museum & Archives, located at The Military Museums in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. If you are looking to find out more about PPCLI and its history, please don't hesitate to contact us directly at [email protected].
Cover: Op RAWA TANDER
(Constant Thunder), Don
Clark, CMIC, in contact,
Pashmul, Zhari, Kandak 1, TF
1-08 OMLT, 28 May 2008
Photo courtesy PPCLI
Archives
Contributors:
Sergeant Nate Blackmore, Jim Bowman, Major Slade Lerch, Corporal Andrew Mullett, J. Neven-Pugh
Photo Credits
The PPCLI Museum & Archives, The Military Museums of Calgary, Calgary AB. Accessed September and Fall 2019
MCpl Phil Tobicoe Fonds, The PPCLI Museum & Archives, The Military Museums of Calgary, Calgary AB. Accessed April 2019
Corporal Mullett, Andrew. “Meet A Serving Soldier Presentation,” Photos from 2008.
Neven-Pugh, J. (artist). “Brownout.” 12 December 2019.
Published Resources
Amnesty International UK. “Women in Afghanistan: the Back Story.” Amnesty.org.uk. Published 25 November 2014 Accessed 12
December 2019. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/womens-rights-afghanistan-history
The Countess Mountbatten of Burma. “Message from the Colonel-in-Chief” in The Patrician: Regimental Journal of Princess
Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Vol LIV. Maj Giraldeau & Cap MacPherson (ed). (2002): 2.
Flavelle, Ryan. The Patrol. Harper Perennial (2012): 1-272.
Ghafour, Hamida. The Sleeping Buddha: The Story of Afghanistan Through the Eyes of One Family. McArthur (2007): 1-336.
Semrau, Robert. The Taliban Don’t Wave. Harper Collins Publishers (2013): 1-488.
Museum General Manager: Collections Manager: The Gault Press (civilian) editor:
Sgt Nate Blackmore Cpl Andrew Mullett J. Neven-Pugh
Artefact Specialist: Archivist:
James Morgan Jim Bowman
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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Afghanistan
When I was 13-years-old, I began
saving articles about the Mission in
Afghanistan. Learning of dangers faced
by soldiers, violence and poverty, and
restrictions imposed upon women
widened my worldview from a small-
town life in Canada to life circumstances
I couldn’t properly imagine. At the same
time, I began reading more about the
Great War, taking note of Canada’s role
on the global stage and how modern
conflict differed from engagements in
the past. Though unaware at the time,
this casual interest in Canada’s military
history would become an entrenched
passion.
Thus, by high school, the War on
Terror was as familiar a topic to me as it
could be for a civilian with no military
ties. I knew that Canadians were serving
to fight the Taliban and to help rebuild
Afghanistan through reconstruction and
training. I tracked the elections of
Hamid Karzai and was one of the few
students to know not only that Osama
Bin Laden had been killed by US special
operations forces in Pakistan, but
where, when, and why he had been
there. I even knew more about
challenges faced by women in
Afghanistan than women in Canada. I
was in no way an expert, nor could I ever
be, for to truly understand a subject one
must experience it. Thanks to the
bravery of Canadian service personnel,
danger and pain of a warzone is
something that I have never had to live
through.
It was only later, after hearing first-
hand accounts and reading unflinching
memoirs, that I realized just how little I
really knew.
Most poignantly, I read of the
sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers
and correspondents, tracking articles
Afghanistan
MODERN DAY SOMME
THE IMPACT OF THE
MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN
“WHAT’S IN A SOLDIER?”
A POEM
THIS WAY TO THE SUCK!
CANADA IN “THE GHAN”
“The year 2002 was without exaggeration a monumental year for the Regiment. The
Regimental family was tested as Canada committed land forces to the war against
terrorism. Together they met all challenges with great solidarity, perseverance and
professionalism. I was extremely proud of the successes of my Patricias.”
~Opening remarks of (former) Colonel-in-Chief, The Countess Mountbatten of Burma, in The
Patrician, 2002
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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about the death of Calgary news reporter
Michelle Lang, remembrance
ceremonies marking past and present
engagements, and the 2008 ambush
where a Cochranite rescued two of his
comrades and was subsequently
awarded the Medal of Military Valour.
In a coincidence that still baffles me, I
now work with another Patricia who
experienced that same ambush. A news
report of this engagement was one of the
first articles I saved with regards to the
Mission in Afghanistan.
Canada’s role in this mission lasted
from 2002-2014 (with the exception of a
JTF2 unit deploying late 2001). My
entire primary school career, Canadians
younger than my father—and at times,
barely older than myself—lived and
patrolled in the heat and mental-
exhaustion of Afghanistan; a country
with IED wires for frontlines, ghosts
firing RPGs from the surrounding fields,
and a populace hopeful for renewed
stability.
In this issue of The Gault Press, we
hope to convey the conditions faced by
soldiers in Afghanistan, the impact this
mission had on Afghan civilians, and the
sacrifices made by Canadians.
Sincerely,
The Editor
Museum News
COVID-19: The Military Museums closed on 13 March in light of health precautions against
spreading COVID-19. Museum staff are still monitoring emails but working in a limited capacity for
the foreseeable future. Due to this and external factors, the release of The Gault Press has been
delayed. Consequently, there will only be two editions this year: the next is scheduled for September.
We appreciate your patience as we do our part in minimizing the impact of this pandemic.
Contributions Requested: In light of the pandemic, The Gault Press is planning an edition to
encourage morale. So being, we are looking for submissions about perseverance, courage, hope, and
humour. Photos, articles, and original work (artwork, creative writing, memes etc) are welcome, but
will be subjected to review for appropriateness. Any submissions are due no later than 1 August. For
submissions and questions, please contact The Gault Press editor at [email protected]
Virtual Museum: The PPCLI Virtual Museum is up and running! Visit us while quarantined
through the Regiment’s website, ppcli.com. https://ppcli.com/vrtour/ppcli_vrtour_htm.html
Exhibit Developments: The Museum is planning a development project of the Para Company
display in the PPCLI gallery. A three-phase project, the plan includes installing a larger physical
display as well as a virtual reality component, where visitors can experience jumping from a CC130
Hercules. The Museum is also continuing an ongoing project to restore the medals display.
Last Edition’s Question: What does OMLT stand for?
b) Operational Mentor and Liaison Team
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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C A N A D A I N
A F G H A N I S T A N
Cardboard signs declaring: “This
Way to the Suck!” followed by “Other
Way, Stupid”, Afghanistan, 2007.
Photo courtesy Capt Pappin
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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Modern Day Somme
By: J. Neven-Pugh
In the First World War, Canadians
fought regimented armies which wore
standardized uniforms and used similar
large-scale fighting tactics such as
artillery shelling, raids, and hand-to-
hand combat. There was a frontline
established and a demographic based on
age and gender, although lying youth
and desperate conscription practices
allowed for exceptions. On foot, soldiers
faced undetonated artillery, drowning in
mud and craters, snipers, poison gas,
and barbed wire.
Less than 90 years later, the Canadian
Forces deployed to Afghanistan as part
of NATO’s mission to reinstate security
in the Middle East following the terrorist
attacks of 9/11. Canada’s role in this
mission would span 12 years in an
attempt to bring security and stability to
a country occupied by insurgents
promoting extreme doctrines that
negatively impacted and restricted
citizen life. There were many
commonalities and differences between
serving in the Middle East and on the
Western Front, including advances in
technology and changes in the
physicality of the battleground.
In Afghanistan, insurgents supported
by the Taliban did not wear a standard
uniform. Taliban fighters used guerilla
warfare tactics, martyrdom/suicide
bombers, and even fought remotely by
planting and setting off IEDs; in
essence, they established a frontline
wherever they could count frontage. For
NATO soldiers, every step outside the
wire was potentially lethal –
hypersensitivity to one’s surroundings,
knowing that a threat could come from
anywhere and in any form, became SOP
for survival.
One thing that is arguably the same
between these two, multi-year conflicts
is the idea of attrition.
Attrition is the wearing down of an
opponent through gradual and
consistent action, often resulting in a
seesawing of gains and losses between
sides without tangible advancement
(football is a game of attrition). The
Somme was a battle of attrition in 1916,
forces winning, losing, and retaking
ground that resulted in massive
casualties and little physical
advancement over a 4½ month period.
With this definition, it can be argued
that the “War on Terror” was a similar
conflict.
Afghanistan is a nation that has faced
conflict for centuries. More “recent”
conflicts include the Soviet invasion of
1979-89, civil war in the ’80s and ’90s,
and the occupation of the Taliban
(beginning in the ’90s). Under Taliban
rule, the country’s economic standards
and human rights recognition
diminished. Despite the ousting of the
Taliban regime from Kabul in 2001, the
country was designated “the most
dangerous country” for a woman to live
in 2011.
Contrary to popular belief, the
country’s reputation for injustice against
women was due to developments
beginning in the 1970s. Prior to this,
many cities, including Kabul, were
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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similar to Western cities, during which
time women went to university, could go
out unescorted, and wear mini skirts.
This reality is largely forgotten in the
Western public eye, with the strict
enforcement of Sharia Law and other
restrictions by the Taliban impacting
women in Afghanistan. It is important to
note that groups like the Taliban and Al-
Qaeda propagate a corrupted version of
Islam, which gives false interpretations
of the Muslim faith.
Canadian soldiers attempted to
address the physical, social, and
economic stability of the country from
2002-2014. This was done by engaging
with locals—largely through meetings
known as “Shuras”—to build needed
infrastructure, provide employment to
civilians, and training the Afghan
National Army (ANA) and Afghan
National Police (ANP). Soldiers
performed presence patrols and worked
positive interactions with the locals.
And, from 2002 – 2012, Canadians
served in combative operations.
It is difficult to track the level of
success in fighting an “unseen”
opponent. Regardless of the name of the
extremist group, insurgency is still a
prevalent threat in the world today, and
in theatre soldiers were often fighting
insurgents who either disappeared
quickly or were never seen at all. Unlike
the battles of the First and Second
World Wars, counting enemy losses is of
limited value when the total size of the
opposing army is unknown. With the
continuance of terrorist attacks today, it
isn’t a stretch to say that the “War on
Terror” is a war of attrition.
However, like the soldiers of the
Somme, this does not undermine nor
discount the impact and sacrifices made
by participants in the Mission in
Afghanistan. On the contrary, it
highlights the perseverance, dedication,
and courage of Canadian soldiers. For
over a decade in this theatre, Canadians
helped in restoration projects,
education, and reducing threats in
various regions; thus, they discontinued
attrition with regards to public health
and stability.
Canadians should be proud of their
contributions to Afghanistan, where
units, including the PPCLI, served to
protect not only our freedoms, but in an
attempt secure these freedoms for
others.
Carved wooden box
and retractable
basket from a bazaar
in Afghanistan.
Bought in 2008.
Photo courtesy Cpl
Andrew Mullett
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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Where’s the Line?
Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry is
renowned for holding the line despite
overwhelming odds, but how do you stand your
ground when there isn’t a line to stand on?
In Afghanistan, the Taliban enacted guerilla
warfare, using hit-and-run, ambush, and even
remote strategies (ex: detonating or planting
self-detonating explosives). This meant that
every step “outside the wire” was potentially
dangerous. Canadian troops, whether patrolling
in LAVs or on foot, maintained a protective
distance between one another in an attempt to
minimize collateral damage in the event of an
attack. Troops also conducted a 5-and-20 check
when leaving their vehicles, inspecting the
immediate 5 meters then scanning the next 20
before venturing forward.
Not all threats can be spotted in this way,
however. One soldier recollected a youth riding
a bicycle back and forth past his unit before an
ambush. It was hypothesized that the cyclist
was measuring frontage prior to a mortar strike
from across the valley. Civilians holding
cellphones was another reason to hesitate: were
they talking to a friend or to the Taliban?
Confronted by martyrdom/suicide bombers
using vehicles and themselves, insurgents
wearing burkas (identified by their combat
boots), IEDs, and the constant threat of
ambush, a “hypersensitive” or “hyperaware”
mentality developed among soldiers.
Photo: Patrol during Op SOHIL LAREM III, Hutal,
Maiwand, 3 Para, Kandak 1, TF 1-08 OMLT, March,
2008. Photo courtesy PPCLI Archives
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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OMLT
The Operational Mentor and Liaison Team was a collaborative force assisting in the training of
the Afghan National Army (ANA). Companies consisting of 4-6 Canadian soldiers and 1 medic
would mentor an Afghan Battalion (or “Kandak”) of the ANA in proper procedures, conducting
patrols, and on combat operations. These Battalions would typically have 4 teams and an HQ
element to support the Afghan BHQ. This task was often assigned to members of 3PPCLI. The
ANA were valuable allies in their firsthand knowledge of the culture and land of Afghanistan.
(Above background photo): FOB Ma’sum Ghar, Kandak 1, TF 1-08 OMLT, March 2008
(Above): Sign from FOB Ma’sum Ghar, Kandak 1, TF 1-08 OMLT, 2008.
(Below): COP Mushan, Canadians and ANA soldiers patrol through the Village of Mushan, TF 1-08 OMLT,
Jul-Aug 2008. Photos courtesy PPCLI Archives
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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Moondust
Dirt in Afghanistan was nicknamed “moondust” due to its fine, lightweight qualities causing it to billow up underfoot. Soldiers in this theatre were subject to poor air quality (haze, pollution, etc) and sandstorms – sometimes known as “brownouts”. Rural buildings in Afghanistan have very small windows in an attempt to minimize the dirt blown indoors during one of these storms. Today, museum staff come across “moondust” when transporting artefacts of the Mission in Afghanistan or using them for educational lectures. This has been observed when handling items which have been out of theatre and on display in Canada for ten or more years. (Above & below): Dust storm, Op SOHIL
LAREM III, Hutal, Maiwand, 3 Para, Kandak
1, TF 1-08 OMLT, Mar 2008. Photos courtesy
PPCLI Archives.
(Below): “Brownout” by J. Neven-Pugh, 2019
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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Hearts and Minds
One mandate of the Mission in
Afghanistan was to bring stability to the
citizens of the country. This was done
by employing locals, helping in
restoration projects such as rebuilding
schools, and in everyday interactions
with civilians.
Afghans worked for the Canadian
Forces in multiple civilian positions,
including as supply drivers and
interpreters. All employees were in
danger of identification by the Taliban
while working for NATO forces. For
their protection, it was and still is
prohibited to publish photos of
employed Afghan personnel.
(Above): Homes in a river valley, May
2002. Photo courtesy PPCLI Archives
(Below): A soldier of 2PPCLI hands a little
girl a bottle of water, 2008. Photo courtesy
Cpl Andrew Mullett.
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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For those I love,
I will sacrifice
2002
Pte R. Green ~ PPCLI ~ 17 Apr
Cpl A. Dyer ~ PPCLI ~17 Apr
Sgt M. Léger ~ PPCLI ~ 17 Apr
Pte N. Smith ~ PPCLI ~ 17 Apr
2003
Cpl R. Beerenfenger ~ RCR ~ 02 Oct
Sgt R. Short ~ RCR ~ 02 Oct
2004
Cpl J. Murphy ~ RCR ~ 27 Jan
2005
Pte B. Woodfield ~ RCR ~ 24 Nov
2006
Cpl P. Davis ~ PPCLI ~ 02 Mar
M/Cpl T. Wilson ~ PPCLI ~ 04 Mar
Pte R. Costall ~ PPCLI ~ 29 Mar
Cpl M. Dinning ~ MP Branch ~ 22 Apr
Lt W. Turner ~ RRCA ~ 22 Apr
Cpl R. Payne ~ MP Branch ~22 Apr
Cpl M. Mansell ~ 5th (BC) FA ~ 22 Apr
Capt N. Goddard ~ RCHA ~ 17 May
Cpl A. Boneca ~ LSSR ~ 09 July
Cpl F. Gomez ~ PPCLI ~22 July
Cpl J. Warren ~ CHB ~ 22 July
Cpl B. Keller ~ PPCLI, R.C.I.C. ~ 03 Aug
Cpl C. Reid ~ PPCLI ~ 03 Aug
Pte K. Dallaire ~ PPCLI ~ 03 Aug
Cpl V. Ingram ~ PPCLI ~ 03 Aug
M/Cpl R. Arndt ~ LER (4VP) ~ 05 Aug
M/Cpl J. Walsh ~ PPCLI ~ 09 Aug
Cpl A. Eykelenboom ~1 Fd Amb ~11 Aug
Cpl D. Braun ~ PPCLI ~ 22 Aug
Sgt S. Stachnik ~ CER ~ 03 Sept
WO F. Mellish ~ RCR ~ 03 Sept
WO R. Nolan ~ RCR ~ 03 Sept
Pte W. Cushley ~ RCR ~ 03 Sept
Pte M. Graham ~ RCR ~ 04 Sept
Cpl S. Keating ~ PPCLI ~ 18 Sept
Cpl G. Arnold ~ 2 Fd Amb ~18 Sept
Cpl K. Morley ~ PPCLI ~ 18 Sept
Pte D. Byers ~ PPCLI ~ 18 Sept
Pte J. Klukie ~ RCR ~ 29 Sept
Cpl R. Mitchell ~ RCD ~ 03 Oct
Sgt C. Gillam ~ RCD ~ 03 Oct
Pte M. Wilson ~ RCD ~ 07 Oct
Pte B. Williamson ~ RCR ~14 Oct
Sgt D. Tedford ~ RCR ~ 14 Oct
Cpl A. Storm ~ RCR ~ 27 Nov
Chief WO R. Girouard ~ RCR ~ 27 Nov
2007
Cpl R. Megeney ~ NS Highrs ~ 06 Mar
M/Cpl C. Stannix ~ PLFus ~ 08 Apr
Pte K. Kennedy ~ RCR ~ 08 Apr
Pte D. Greenslade ~ RCR ~ 08 Apr
Sgt D. Lucas ~ RCR ~ 08 Apr
Cpl B. Poland ~ RCR ~ 08 Apr
Cpl A. Williams ~ RCR ~ 08 Apr
M/Cpl A. Stewart ~ RCD ~ 11 Apr
Pte P. Pentland ~ RCD ~ 11 Apr
M/Cpl A. Klumpenhouwer ~ C&E Branch ~ 18 Apr
Cpl M. McCully ~ C&E Branch ~ 25 May
M/Cpl D. Priede ~ Air Operations Branch ~ 30 May
Pte D. Cswell ~ RCD ~ 11 June
Pte J. Wiebe ~ PPCLI ~ 20 June
Cpl S. Bouzane ~ PPCLI ~ 20 June
Sgt C. Karigiannis ~ PPCLI ~ 20 June
Cpl C. Bartsch ~ PPCLI ~ 04 July
Capt J. Francis ~ RCHA ~ 04 July
Cpl J. Anderson ~ PPCLI ~ 04 July
Capt M. Dawe ~ PPCLI ~ 04 July
Pte L. Watkins ~ PPCLI ~ 04 July
M/Cpl C. Bason ~ R Westmr R ~ 04 July
Pte S. Longtin ~ R22eR~ 19 Aug
M/Cpl C. Duchesne ~ 5e Amb c~ 22 Aug
M/WO M. Mercier ~ R22eR~ 22 Aug
Maj R. Ruckpaul ~ RCD ~ 29 Aug
Cpl N. Hornburg ~ KOCR (RCAC) ~ 24 Sept
Pte M. Lévesque ~ R22eR~ 17 Nov
Cpl N. Beauchamp ~ 5 Fd Amb ~ 17 Nov
Pte J. Dion ~ 5e RALC~ 30 Dec
2008
Cpl E. Labbé ~ R22eR~ 06 Jan
WO H. Massouh ~ R22eR~ 06 Jan
Cpl R. Renaud ~ 12e RBC~ 15 Jan
Cpl E. Gonthier ~ 5e CER~ 23 Jan
Pte M. Hayakaze ~ LdSH (RC)) ~ 02 Mar
Cpl J. Ouellet ~ RCHA ~ 11 Mar
Sgt J. Boyes ~ PPCLI ~16 Mar
Pte T. Street ~ PPCLI ~ 04 Apr
Cpl M. Starker ~ 15 Fd Amb ~ 06 May
Capt R. Leary ~ PPCLI ~ 03 June
Capt J. Snyder ~ PPCLI ~ 07 June
Cpl B. Downey ~ MP Branch ~ 04 July
Pte C. Wilmot ~ 1 Fd Amb ~ 06 July
Cpl J. Arnal ~ PPCLI ~18 July
M/Cpl J. Roberts ~ PPCLI ~ 09 Aug
M/Cpl E. Doyle ~ PPCLI ~ 11 Aug
Cpl D. Wasden ~1 R22ER ~ 20 Aug
Sgt S. Eades ~1 R22ER ~ 20 Aug
Pte S. Stock ~1 R22ER ~ 20 Aug
Cpl A. Grenon ~ PPCLI ~ 03 Sept
Cpl M. Seggie ~ PPCLI ~ 03 Sept
Pte C. Horn ~ PPCLI ~ 03 Sept
Sgt P. Shipway ~ PPCLI ~ 07 Sept
WO R. Wilson ~ RCR ~ 05 Dec
Cpl M. McLaren ~ RCR ~ 05 Dec
Pte D. Diplaros ~ RCR ~ 05 Dec
Pte J. Jones ~ RCR ~ 13 Dec
Pte J. Curwin ~ RCR ~ 13 Dec
Cpl T. Hamilton ~ RCR ~ 13 Dec
Pte M. Freeman ~ RCR ~26 Dec
Sgt G. Kruse ~ R22ER ~ 27 Dec
WO G. Roberge ~ R22eR~ 27 Dec
2009
Pte B. Good ~ RCD ~ 07 Jan
Pte S. Greenfield ~ R22ER ~ 31 Jan
Cpl J. Fortin ~ 425 TFS ~ 03 Mar
WO D. Brown ~ Linc Welld R ~ 03 Mar
Cpl K. O'Quinn ~ C&E Branch ~ 03 Mar
Pte M. Diab ~ RCD ~ 08 Mar
Pte C. Hayes ~ RCD ~ 20 Mar
M/Cpl S. Vernelli ~ RCR ~20 Mar
Cpl T. Crooks ~ RCR ~ 20 Mar
Pte J. Bouthillier ~ RCD ~ 20 Mar
Cpl K. Blais ~ 12e RBC~ 13 Apr
Maj M. Mendes ~ Intelligence Branch ~ 23 Apr
Pte A. Péloquin ~ R22eR~ 08 June
Cpl J. Dubé ~ 5e CER~14 June
Cpl N. Bulger ~ PPCLI ~ 03 July
M/Cpl C-P. Michaud ~ R22eR~ 04 July
Cpl M. Joannette ~ R22eR~ 06 July
M/Cpl P. Audet ~ 430 ETAH ~ 06 July
Pte S. Courcy ~ R22eR~ 16 July
Cpl C. Bobbitt ~ 5e CER~ 01 Aug
Cpl M. Allard ~ 5e CER~ 01 Aug
Cpl J-F. Drouin ~ 5e CER~ 06 Sept
Maj J. Pépin ~5e CER~ 06 Sept
Cpl P. Lormand ~ R22eR~ 13 Sept
Cpl J. Couturier ~ R22eR~ 17 Sept
Lt J. Boyes ~ PPCLI ~ 28 Oct
Pte S. Marshall ~1 R22ER ~ 30 Oct
Lt A. Nuttall ~ PPCLI ~ 23 Dec
Sgt K. Taylor ~ 84th Independent Field Battery, RCA ~
30 Dec
Pte G. Chidley ~ PPCLI ~ 30 Dec
Cpl Z. McCormack ~ LER (4VP) ~ 30 Dec
Sgt G. Miok ~ 41 R22ER ~ 30 Dec
2010
Sgt J. Faught ~ PPCLI ~ 16 Jan
Capt F. Paul ~ 28 Fd Amb ~ 10 Feb
Cpl J. Baker ~ LER (4VP) ~ 12 Feb
Cpl D. Fitzpatrick ~ PPCLI ~ 20 Mar
Pte T. Todd ~ PPCLI ~ 11 Apr
PO D. Blake ~ FDU (A) ~ 03 May
Pte K. McKay ~ PPCLI ~ 13 May
Col G. Parker ~ Land Force Central Area HQ ~ 18 May
Tpr L. Rudd ~ RCD ~ 24 May
Sgt M. Goudreault ~ 1 CER ~ 06 June
Sgt J. MacNeil ~ 2 R22ER ~ 21 June
Pte A. Miller ~ 2 Fd Amb ~ 26 June
M/Cpl K. Giesebrecht ~ Medical Branch ~ 26 June
Pte B. Collier ~1 R22ER ~ 20 July
Cpl B. Pinksen ~ R NFLD R ~ 30 Aug
Cpl S. Martin ~ R22eR~ 18 Dec
2011
Cpl Y. Scherrer ~ R22eR~ 27 Mar
Cpl K. Manning ~ 5e RALC~ 27 May
M/Cpl F. Roy ~ ROSC~ 25 June
M/Cpl B. Greff ~ PPCLI ~ 29 Oct
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
13
Hand-drawn picture of Pte Chad Horn (right/top), Cpl Mike Seggie (left/middle), and
Cpl Andrew Grenon (middle/bottom) by MCpl Adam Cyr, as copied from a photograph
taken while these men were deployed in Afghanistan from February to September 2008.
On 3 September, 8 Platoon, C Coy was caught in an ambush; Pte Horn, Cpl Seggie, and
Cpl Grenon lost their lives as a result of this engagement. MCpl Cyr lost his leg below the
knee. The platoon was one week from the end of their tour.
Courtesy PPCLI Collections: Accession No. 2015.50.06
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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What’s In A Soldier
(Do You Hear the Pipes Calling?)
A Poem by J. Neven-Pugh
They don’t ask “What’s in a soldier?”
They only ask: “Will you return?”
“Will you take up the Colours —
“again?” “How do you discern
“between friend or foe in the distance?”
“Or when patrolling, close at hand?”
“How does it feel to see sequence
“of movies ’bout Afghanistan?”
They don’t ask “what’s in a soldier?”
Only: “Did it feel right, over there?”
“Do you think it was worth it?” (As
they check for the 1,000 yard stare).
“I read that it was just peacekeeping. — ”
“I’ve heard it wasn’t that bad. — ”
Or “I’ve heard you soldiers are rougher
“than the soldiers who fought for my dad.”
They never ask “what’s in a soldier?”
Wishing only to know of the fray,
But I hear this answered by every soldier,
For their very selves have so much to say.
For the stance of a good soldier,
is straight and though left at ease,
bears the weight of rucksacks and scarring
of which they only tease.
For the words of a good soldier,
(though rough at times to soft ears),
must navigate a world uninviting
to pain softened by jeers.
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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For in the minds of every soldier,
are memories once lived and passed down;
that travelling in shadowed footsteps
are the Taliban through local towns.
For in the eyes of every soldier,
are worlds far more complex,
that we as privileged Canadians
are privileged enough to forget.
And in the hands of every soldier,
are tendons and muscles trained,
to hold a rifle or rip chord,
or a casket, memory-stained.
Yet these hands and eyes of a soldier,
this posture, words, and mind,
Speak of what lie ’neath the surface,
founded the day the contract was signed.
Something deep and unwritten…
Something lost to the civvies we are.
Something driven right down to the centre,
whether forged at home or afar.
Something compelling them onward,
though weary from the worst life can bear,
even as the darkness pursues them
and clings to the morning air.
And like the dawns of the Arctic,
some mornings seem hardly to rise;
yet there’s something within that soldier
and it’s spoken of within his eyes...
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
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So when asked what’s in a soldier?
by every question under the sun:
past words and stance and conduct,
embodied in each daughter and son,
is the courage that every good soldier,
shows for his comrade beside;
for the men and women still serving,
for those retired, and those who have died.
So remember, in every good soldier,
is the devotion to country and friend;
whether they train in peace in their homeland,
or the world’s problems, try to amend.
So when the pipes are calling,
and soldiers march on the field,
see them as courage embodied—
as the ones who will never yield.
And when the trumpets are calling,
remember more than the fray;
for to answer “what’s in a soldier?”
is more than any will say.
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
17
(Above) Captain Lerch during a dust storm, OP
SOHIL LAREM III, Maiwand, 3 Para, Kandak 1,
TF 1-08 OMLT, Mar 2008
(Below) Convoy to Mushan along the
Arghandab River, ANA vehicles, 5 July 2008.
Photo by Sgt (Ret’d) J. Prior
Afghanistan War
Documented in Photographs
By Jim Bowman, PPCLI Archivist
On 25 March 2019, the director of the
PPCLI Museum & Archives, Maj Slade
Lerch, donated approximately 1,151 digital
images, 66 digital video clips, and
approximately 931 hard-copy photographs
to the Archives.
Most of the material documents Maj Lerch’s
experiences as a Captain in 3PPCLI in
Afghanistan during 2005-2006, 2008, and
2011, through photos taken by him and his
comrades. The photos show the stark
beauty of the country, the resilience of its
people, the disarray of battlefront
conditions, and the determination of the
soldiers.
Many of the photos were taken in and
around the village of Mushan, Panjwayi
District, Kandahar Province. The area is
arid and relies on irrigation, and the
population is poorly educated due to a
shortage of schools. It remains one of the
major strongholds of the Taliban.
During Operation Athena, Capt Lerch was
part of Task Force 1-08, Operational
Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT). The
objective of the OMLT was to work in
cooperation with the Afghan National Army
(ANA) to assist it in developing the skills to
be in control of the war against the Taliban.
His team was based at COP (Combat
Outpost) Mushan, a fortified compound not
far from the village of Mushan.
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
18
(Above) COP Mushan, burning after insurgent mortar attack, 9 July 2008.
(Below) Cpl J. Prior gives gifts to children, east of COP Mushan, July/August 2008.
Photos courtesy PPCLI Archives
Apr. – Aug., 2020 The PPCLI Museum & Archives Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 1
20
Have a story of perseverance?
A message of hope or encouragement?
A funny photo, joke, or cartoon?
The Gault Press is looking for submissions to help boost morale
during these trying times in its Fall publication.
Submissions can include writing, photos, or original work,
but must be appropriate for multiple audiences (PG-13).
Submissions are due no later than 1 August 2020.
Please contact The Gault Press editor at
[email protected] for details.