Cdn. Soldier Killed In Ambush Leaves Striking Poem BehindThursday September 4, 2008
"I fight because I'm a soldier.
I fight because I'm ordered.
I fight, so my children won't have to."
Those may be the final words that best sum up Corp. Andrew Grenon. The Windsor native was one of three Canadian soldiers killed during a patrol in the perilous Zhari district of Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Grenon, Corp. Mike Seggie and Pte. Chad Horn all perished in an ambush and five other soldiers were injured. In a repeat of a ramp ceremony seen all too often since our troops arrived in 2002, thousands of Canadian soldiers lined the tarmac to pay a solemn tribute to their comrades in arms. Their deaths are tinged with a special kind of sadness - all three were just weeks away from completing their tours of duty.
Twenty-four teary-eyed pallbearers carried the caskets to a waiting plane and their bodies will be flown back to Canada, eventually to make the long journey down the Highway of Heroes.
Grenon's family released a statement Thursday, noting they were proud of their son's service and that he was "happy and content" to have served in the war effort. "He firmly believed in Canada's mission in Afghanistan and that he saw the good that was being done there," the statement reads.
His 14-year-old brother Matthew added this poignant comment for his older sibling. "I'll always remember the 'heroes' work' you did for our country. I remind (everyone) to keep praying for our forces and for world peace."
But in an unusual tribute, it was Grenon himself who left his own final words. The soldier wrote a composition called "Why We Fight" in November 2006, an emotion laden patriotic ode created during his first tour in the war torn nation.
The death toll in Afghanistan has now hit 96, a number that has many Canadians wondering if our mission is worth it. Grenon's final words seem to be a rebuttal to that complaint and are reproduced here for your judgment.
Why We Fight "I've often asked myself why we are here. Why my government actually agreed to send troops to this God-forsaken place. There are no natural resources. No oil, gold, or silver. Just people.
"People who have been at war for the last 40 plus years. People who want nothing more than their children to be safe. People who will do anything for money; even give their own life.
"I look into the eyes of these people. I see hate, destruction and depression. I see love, warmth, kindness and appreciation.
"Why do we fight? For in this country, there are monsters. Monsters we could easily fight on a different battlefield, at a different time. Monsters that could easily take the fight to us.
"Surrounding these mud walls and huts is a country in turmoil. A country that is unable to rebuild itself. A country that cannot guarantee a bright future for its youth.
"Why do we fight? Because, if we don't fight today, on THIS battlefield, then our children will be forced to face these monsters on our own battlefield.
"I fight because I'm a soldier.
"I fight because I'm ordered.
"I fight, so my children won't have to."
