Thursday, August 23, 2007

Message from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean



August 22nd, 2007
Message from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada, on the Deaths of Two Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan
"Today has been a very sombre day. With heavy hearts, we greeted the arrival of Private Simon Longtin's casket and mourned his loss with his family and friends. And then we received more tragic news right there on the tarmac at CFB Trenton: we learned of the deaths of two Canadian soldiers as well as the death of an Afghan interpreter who was traveling with a Canadian television crew. The deadly explosive device they ran over also injured two other Canadian soldiers as well as a Societe Radio-Canada journalist and a cameraman.The enormous sacrifice our soldiers have agreed to make always shocks me. They are ready to lay down their lives and face incredible dangers to ensure the peace and security that are absolutely essential to the development and reconstruction work being carried out in Afghanistan. They deserve our utmost respect and deepest gratitude. I would also like to recognize the demanding and courageous work of the journalists on the ground in Afghanistan; they have the very important mission of keeping everyone in Canada informed as to what is happening over there.My thoughts are with the family, colleagues and friends of the victims. Words cannot express the terrible pain of losing a loved one and I share their sorrow. I also hope that those injured in today's incident make a speedy recovery."Michaelle Jean

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