A Windsor man salutes a fallen hero.
These are copies of photos from the Saturday edition of our local newspaper. On Friday the 12th of September this city paid homage to Andrew Grennon, the first Canadian soldier from our city to be killed while on active duty in Afghanistan. There have been almost one hundred Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since our soldiers were sent there on peace keeping duties just a few years ago. Corporal Grennon was the first one from Windsor to die.
I have copied some of the article written about the funeral in the newspaper. I found it very moving...as I did watching the funeral procession. The young soldier's parents live just ten minutes away from my house! The article in full can be read here; http://www.windsorstar.com/
A hero's farewell: Thousands line funeral route for fallen soldier
It came right from the heart
Gord Henderson, Windsor StarPublished: Saturday, September 13, 2008
So much for the prevailing wisdom that Windsorites, swamped by all things American and oblivious to our own country's heritage, might not answer the call to honour one of our own.
That myth was punctured Friday afternoon in a remarkable, flag-draped outpouring of love, gratitude and respect for Cpl. Andrew Paul Grenon as one of the largest funeral processions in Windsor's history snaked its way west across the city and south to Heavenly Rest Cemetery.
We knew the school kids and teachers would be out in force. But I couldn't have imagined so many Windsorites, of all ages, would come with flags and lawn chairs, puppies and homemade banners, to express a heartfelt thank-you to the 23-year-old Forest Glade lad who was killed, along with two comrades, in a Sept. 3 Taliban attack on their armoured vehicle near Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Who knew there were so many Canadian flags in this city? Who knew there were so many proud Canadians determined to send a message of support to Grenon's family and friends in their bleakest hour?
To be honest, I harboured doubts. I left the solemn 90-minute service at Our Lady of the Atonement on Forest Glade Drive wondering how city residents would respond. What if there was mass apathy on such a damp, miserable day. What if only a scattering came out to show their respect? What a blow that would be to the family. And what a black eye to this community, given how magnificently Canadians in other regions have responded.
I needn't have fretted. My wife and I rolled up Forest Glade Drive to the Tecumseh Road intersection, just minutes ahead of the procession, and there they were, throngs of city residents waiting patiently, flags in hand, for the lead vehicles to come by.
Geez. It looks like Forest Glade has done one of its own proud, I croaked. But it wasn't only Forest Glade.
All along Tecumseh Road and south on Dougall, they gathered, often in large groups, sometimes as lonely but resolute sentinels.
There were yellow balloons. Yellow ribbons. Red and white ribbons. Red and yellow mums taped to a hydro pole. "Windsor Salutes You," read a large, white homemade banner. There were Labradors, the all-Canadian dog, with Canadian flags sprouting from their collars. Blue-clad Canadian Tire employees lined the curb. So did A & W and Shoppers Drug Mart workers. All along Tecumseh shops emptied of employees and customers. "Our Thoughts Are with the Grenon Family," proclaimed the sign outside Harvey's, one of several paying homage to Grenon's sacrifice.
