Monument for the Fallen
and all of Canada's fallen soldiers who passed away in Afganistan. We then had supper, the food was so delicious you ate until you had to unbuckle your belt. Trust me; the north knows how to cook! They can feed a battle group and then some.
Side view of Hearst monument
After dinner we all headed off to the local Legion to show our support to the veterans of Hearst. There we met a gentleman named Rolly. He had served during World War II. Joining the army in 1941, he was sent to Britain after completing six months of training in Canada. He did not return to Canada until 1946. He fought at Dieppe, where Canada lost 1000 troops and over 2000 were captured.
The day of the parade, all 27 RCD members marched proudly to the monument, chins held high in the cold icy winds. Many citizens of Hearst had gathered to pay their respects and cheered and thanked us loudly as we passed. I was called upon by the mayor of Hearst to help unveil the monument. With a snip of the scissors it was unveiled for all to see. There was a soldier in full fighting order shaking a little Afghan girl’s hand. This brass sculpture captured every little detail of a Canadian Soldier. The monument is simply outstanding.
The day of the parade, all 27 RCD members marched proudly to the monument, chins held high in the cold icy winds. Many citizens of Hearst had gathered to pay their respects and cheered and thanked us loudly as we passed. I was called upon by the mayor of Hearst to help unveil the monument. With a snip of the scissors it was unveiled for all to see. There was a soldier in full fighting order shaking a little Afghan girl’s hand. This brass sculpture captured every little detail of a Canadian Soldier. The monument is simply outstanding.
All in all it was a privilege to take part in the unveiling of the monument in Hearst Ontario. It was an honour to see a monument that represented a friend. The felling I felt inside can not be expressed in mere words.
On the behalf of all the RCD members who attended Hearst, I want to thank everyone who showed us a great time. Thank you for the amazing food, the great hospitality and the warm welcome. R.I.P. JACK BOUTHILLIER you will never be forgotten.
Written by:
Tpr LaBrecque
D Squadron
On the behalf of all the RCD members who attended Hearst, I want to thank everyone who showed us a great time. Thank you for the amazing food, the great hospitality and the warm welcome. R.I.P. JACK BOUTHILLIER you will never be forgotten.
Written by:
Tpr LaBrecque
D Squadron
Honour guard from D and A Sqn’s participate in unveiling of monument
A Canadian soldier in full fighting order shakes the hand of an Afghan girl.
Copyright 2009 Royal Canadian Dragoons, All Rights Reserved
On March 20th 2009, we the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) lost two members of the regimental family, Tpr Cory Hayes and Tpr Jack Bouthillier. Tpr Bouthillier (aka Bouts) was only with D Sqn in Afghanistan for just a short period of time. However, I had the opportunity to get to know Jack very well as we did all our training together, from Basic Military Qualification, Soldier Qualification and Developmental Period 1, up until our posting to the Regiment. Bout’s was a dedicated and determined young soldier, eager to prove himself and carry out his duty. He was respected and liked by both his friends and peers.
Seeing Bouts when he touched down in FOB (Forward Operating Base) Frontenac, Afghanistan, was great. He raised my moral and the others who knew him. It was always good to see somebody from the real world that you hadn’t seen in a while. I remember him staring at the mountains like it was the biggest thing he had ever seen! He was happy to finally be serving his country and doing his job overseas.
On the 14th of Nov 2009, 27 members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) headed to Tpr Bouthillier’s home town of Hearst Ontario to participate in the unveiling of a monument honouring that town’s eleven soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice in times of war. The guard, consisting of members from A Squadron and D Squadron, boarded a bus at 0530 hrs for the long nine hour trip to Hearst Ontario.
When we arrived in Hearst, we checked into our hotel rooms and then mounted back up and headed to Jack’s Aunt and Uncle’s house, Janine and Benny, where they had prepared an amazing diner for us. Before we all started supper everybody introduced themselves. During the conversation, everyone talked about how we knew Tpr Bouthillier. MWO Pichie presented a gift to Bout’s parents. It was a photo of Bout’s family with A Sqn personnel around Raynold’s (Jack’s father) rig. His truck displayed Bouts
Seeing Bouts when he touched down in FOB (Forward Operating Base) Frontenac, Afghanistan, was great. He raised my moral and the others who knew him. It was always good to see somebody from the real world that you hadn’t seen in a while. I remember him staring at the mountains like it was the biggest thing he had ever seen! He was happy to finally be serving his country and doing his job overseas.
On the 14th of Nov 2009, 27 members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) headed to Tpr Bouthillier’s home town of Hearst Ontario to participate in the unveiling of a monument honouring that town’s eleven soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice in times of war. The guard, consisting of members from A Squadron and D Squadron, boarded a bus at 0530 hrs for the long nine hour trip to Hearst Ontario.
When we arrived in Hearst, we checked into our hotel rooms and then mounted back up and headed to Jack’s Aunt and Uncle’s house, Janine and Benny, where they had prepared an amazing diner for us. Before we all started supper everybody introduced themselves. During the conversation, everyone talked about how we knew Tpr Bouthillier. MWO Pichie presented a gift to Bout’s parents. It was a photo of Bout’s family with A Sqn personnel around Raynold’s (Jack’s father) rig. His truck displayed Bouts