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Canada@War

By The Armorer on March 31, 2006 | | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (3)

Canadian and US troops fighting - and dying - side by side.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

A ramp ceremony was held for Private Robert Costall at Kandahar Airfield on March 29. Canadian DND photo

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - At 10 p.m. Tuesday, on a cool, cloudless night in Afghanistan, Private Robert Costall and 30 fellow members of Canada's Quick Reaction Force were scrambled into helicopters at Kandahar Airfield and whisked to the lawless wastes of Sangin district, a difficult corner of a dangerous land.

Five hours later, Pte. Costall was dead, and his fellow soldiers were in the midst of the most serious and deadly battle faced by Canadian soldiers in 32 years.

A U.S. soldier and an unspecified number of Afghan army troops also died in the battle -- as did a reported 33 Taliban insurgents.

Not since the death of three Canadian peacekeepers in 1974 -- killed defending Nicosia airport in Cyprus -- has a Canadian soldier been killed during a firefight with enemy troops.

According to the Winnipeg Sun (the Sun has a pic of Private Costall):


Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, commander of Task Force Afghanistan, said Taliban forces attacked coalition troops, who had been sent to the area after the recent death of eight Afghan army soldiers.

He said Costall died defending his fellow soldiers but refused to give out further details of the battle.


We'll set a couple more places at Fiddler's Green - but they have a fine escort, too.

Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance - In Memoriam:

Private Robert Costall

Sgt. 1st Class John T. Stone

Brothers-in-Arms. Gentlemen, here's some music for the march down the road, the Regimental March, courtesy the Regimental Band via the Canadian Infantry Association. When you get there, take off your boots, SGT Whiskey will tend to your feet.

From the Minister of Defence:

Statement by the Minister of National Defence on the Death of Private Robert Costall NR–06.009 - March 29, 2006

OTTAWA – Gordon O’Connor, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement this morning:

“We mourn today the death of Private Robert Costall who fell while defending his comrades when insurgents attacked them last night northwest of Kandahar in Afghanistan. There is no greater loss to a family and friends than that of a loved one. And there is no greater loss to the Canadian Forces family than that of one of its own. My heartfelt thoughts and sympathies are with his family today and we hope for a speedy recovery of those injured.

I join with Canadians who stand proudly with our men and women of the Canadian Forces as they steadfastly continue this mission to protect Canada and Canadians from the global threats of terrorism and help bring stability and security to the people of Afghanistan. There are risks involved in this operation, but our members are among the best trained, and most experienced soldiers in the world. They are fully prepared for the mission in Afghanistan.

Private Costall will not be forgotten.”

Read the whole story here.

The Winnipeg Sun story is here.

For those who may be muttering "Big deal, one troop dead, so what, given our casualties?"

For Canada, it *is* a big deal. And that's good enough for me.

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A salute to the fallen from Quotulatiousness on March 31, 2006 8:59 AM

John of Argghhh has a thoughtful post on the death of Private Robert Costall, 1 PPCLI: For those who may be muttering "Big deal, one troop dead, so what, given our casualties?" For Canada, it *is* a big deal. And... Read More

Red Ensign Standard from Dust my Broom on April 2, 2006 12:37 PM

Welcome to the 39th edition of the Red Ensign Standard. I’ve been with the Red Ensign Brigade for around a year and a half and in the blogosphere that is almost like forever. The group has waxed and waned and has been through many different chang... Read More

Red Ensign Standard from Dust my Broom on April 2, 2006 12:37 PM

Welcome to the 39th edition of the Red Ensign Standard. I’ve been with the Red Ensign Brigade for around a year and a half and in the blogosphere that is almost like forever. The group has waxed and waned and has been through many different chang... Read More

11 Comments

By Fuzzybear Lioness on March 31, 2006 7:33 AM
Beautiful post, John. I particularly like the part about Whiskey. :)
 
By V29 on March 31, 2006 7:33 AM
Hand Salute to a fallen soldier. For our Canadian brethern, The Last Post, would be appropriate music for which to Dance in Memoriam. http://www.mfiles.org.uk/downloads/the-last-post.mp3 The Last Post is one of a number of bugle calls in military tradition which mark the phases of the day. Where "Reveille" signaled the start of a soldier's day, the "Last Post" signaled its end. It is believed originally to have been part of a more elaborate routine, known in the British Army as "tattoo", that had its origins in the 17th century. During the evening, a duty officer had to do the rounds of his unit's position, checking that the sentry posts were manned and rounding up the off-duty soldiers and packing them off to their beds or billets. He would be accompanied by one or more musicians. The "first post" was sounded when the duty officer started his rounds and, as the party proceeded from post to post, a drum was played. The drum beats told off-duty soldiers it was time to rest - if the soldiers were billeted in a town, the beats told them it was time to quit the pubs. "Tattoo" is a derivation of doe den tap toe, Dutch for "turn off the taps", a call which is said to have followed the drum beats in many a Dutch pub while English armies were campaigning through Holland and Flanders in the 1690s. (It is also from this routine that American practice of "taps" or "drum taps" originated.) Another bugle call was sounded when the party completed their rounds, when they reached the "last post": this signaled the night sentries were alert at their posts and gave one last warning to any soldiers still at large that it was time to retire for the evening. "Last Post" was incorporated into funeral and memorial services as a final farewell and symbolises that the duty of the dead is over and that they can rest in peace. THE WORDS TO THE LAST POST Come home! Come home! The last post is sounding for you to hear. All good soldiers know very well there is nothing to fear while they do what is right, and forget all the worries they have met in their duties through the year. A soldier cannot always be great, but he can be a gentleman and he can be a right good pal to his comrades in his squad. So all you soldiers listen to this - Deal fair by all and you'll never be amiss. Be Brave! Be Just! Be Honest and True Men! Farewell Pte Costall
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 31, 2006 8:04 AM
V29 apparently missed the link - if you click Costall's and Stone's names - you'll get the appropriate music delivered right to your speaker.
 
By AFSister on March 31, 2006 8:07 AM
"For Canada, it *is* a big deal. And that's good enough for me." Damn straight. I hate to see Canada joining our ranks of the fallen in the GWOT, but I'm so glad they're by our side.
 
By Nicholas on March 31, 2006 8:56 AM
Thanks for the thoughtful post, John. I'll be linking to this one.
 
By Alan on March 31, 2006 10:16 AM
I was listening to northern NY public radio report on this and I think I heard that the US soldier was from from Vermont and, again, one soldier is a big thing to Vermonters, too. Every one lost is a big thing to the community they come from.
 
By Cassandra on March 31, 2006 4:15 PM
Thank you, John, for posting this. Too often we forget that we are not alone in this fight. Well done.
 
By kat-missouri on March 31, 2006 4:34 PM
And, this soldier is not alone in his final steps either. I see his commrades are taking care of him as they always have. Godspeed.
 
By CDR Salamander on March 31, 2006 5:13 PM
Yep, it is a big deal. It is nice to have our friends next to us in this fight. Actions speak.
 
By AyUaxe on April 1, 2006 12:35 PM
Every one of our soldiers who go to war should be this big a deal, every one who returns, dead or alive should be this big a deal. I'm sick of hollywood, metrosexual, comfortable U.S. cynicism about the achievements and sacrifices our service people. Where are the parades, confetti, highschool bands and valiant returnees and families riding in convertibles down mainstreets across the U.S.? My prayers and support go out to them all and if I can influence my elected officials to fire up the patriotism bandwagon, I'll do it--let's all try!
 
By OSONS FOR LIBERTY on April 7, 2006 12:57 AM
WHAT I JUST WANT TO SAY IS THANK YOU! AND KNOW YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!! GOD HELP US IF WE EVER BREAK FAITH WITH OUR SOLDIERS!!! PVT COSTALL MAKES ME REALLY PROUD TO BE A CANADIAN!! TO THE REST OF THE PPCLI IN AFGHANISTAN I SAY , I KNOW YOU WILL MAKE THOSE TERRORIST DIRTBAGS PAY!!!!!