On Friday, April 21st at about 8:00p.m. PST, Bombardier Myles Stanley Mansell and three of his fellow Canadian Reservists were killed while serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
I first met Myles at Battle School in Shilo, Manitoba in 1998. We ended up in the same regiment when we both returned home to Vancouver Island. I remember him as a genuinely kind and decent person who believed deeply in the best traditions of the Canadian Forces.
I lost touch with Myles after leaving the Reserve when I moved to Calgary in 1999. I wasn't with the Forces for long, but when I think back on that time in my life, Myles' is one of the faces that comes to mind.
Myles and his comrades were killed when their armoured transport was blown over by a roadside bomb. Their loss will undoubtedly open renewed debate over Canada's presence in Afghanistan. I don't know the answer to whether our Country's intervention is justified or not, or if the work we are doing there is having a positive impact. I do know that Myles gave his life doing what he believed was right. He lived to help others.
I'm sure that everyone who knew Myles will remember him as fondly as I do. His loss will be deeply felt.
So here's to you Myles. You were one of the good guys.
