thedrifter
08-28-09, 07:49 AM
Soldiers' sorrow
Fri Aug 28, 5:42 AM
An Edmonton-based soldier and his best friend, a U.S. soldier serving in Afghanistan, were both killed the same day in road crashes on opposite sides of the world.
Pte. Kyle Whitehead, a member of the Third Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, was killed Saturday morning on the Big River First Nation, about 140 km northeast of Saskatoon.
The 23-year-old father of two was driving south through the main intersection of Grid 793 and Deep Lake Road coming from his hometown on the nearby Pelican Lake First Nation when his vehicle rolled up to six times and ended up in a ditch. Whitehead was thrown from the vehicle and died on scene.
That same day, 25-year-old U.S. Army Sgt. Darby Morin died after the vehicle he was travelling in lost control and rolled near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Morin was wearing his seatbelt, but he was unconscious when medics arrived on scene. His funeral will be held in Big River this weekend.
"Everybody in the community is broken-hearted right now," said Whitehead's cousin Terry Thomas, 31.
Both soldiers were from the Big River First Nation in Saskatchewan and went to school together, said Thomas. Whitehead later moved to the neighbouring Pelican Lake First Nation, but remained close with Morin.
The oldest of three boys, Whitehead was someone who "brought smiles and laughs to everybody," Thomas said. He quickly earned the nickname "Kilo" for his large build and muscular frame.
When Thomas joined the U.S. Marines, Morin followed suit and joined the U.S. Army after high school. The pair were able to enlist in the U.S. Army under the Jay Treaty, which allows aboriginals to live and work in the United States as long as they can prove they have at least 50% aboriginal blood.
Whitehead also planned to head south but changed his mind and decided to stay in Canada to remain close to his mother. He joined the Canadian Forces in August 2008 and was posted to Edmonton this June after successfully completing the basic military qualification.
"It was natural for him to go into infantry. He was pretty smart. I'm sure he scored high on his tests," Thomas said.
Whitehead's platoon second-in-command, Sgt. Andrew Forbes, remembers him as "a solid and mature soldier who impressed those he worked for in the short time he was here.
"He had a promising future in the army," Forbes added.
Whitehead leaves behind a three-year-old son, a two-month-old son and his fiancee. A full military funeral will be held today on the Pelican Lake First Nation.
Whitehead's 27-year-old male passenger, who was wearing his seatbelt, was taken to Prince Albert Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He reportedly suffered a fractured skull, said Thomas. RCMP continue to investigate.
CLARA.HO@SUNMEDIA.CA
Ellie
Fri Aug 28, 5:42 AM
An Edmonton-based soldier and his best friend, a U.S. soldier serving in Afghanistan, were both killed the same day in road crashes on opposite sides of the world.
Pte. Kyle Whitehead, a member of the Third Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, was killed Saturday morning on the Big River First Nation, about 140 km northeast of Saskatoon.
The 23-year-old father of two was driving south through the main intersection of Grid 793 and Deep Lake Road coming from his hometown on the nearby Pelican Lake First Nation when his vehicle rolled up to six times and ended up in a ditch. Whitehead was thrown from the vehicle and died on scene.
That same day, 25-year-old U.S. Army Sgt. Darby Morin died after the vehicle he was travelling in lost control and rolled near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Morin was wearing his seatbelt, but he was unconscious when medics arrived on scene. His funeral will be held in Big River this weekend.
"Everybody in the community is broken-hearted right now," said Whitehead's cousin Terry Thomas, 31.
Both soldiers were from the Big River First Nation in Saskatchewan and went to school together, said Thomas. Whitehead later moved to the neighbouring Pelican Lake First Nation, but remained close with Morin.
The oldest of three boys, Whitehead was someone who "brought smiles and laughs to everybody," Thomas said. He quickly earned the nickname "Kilo" for his large build and muscular frame.
When Thomas joined the U.S. Marines, Morin followed suit and joined the U.S. Army after high school. The pair were able to enlist in the U.S. Army under the Jay Treaty, which allows aboriginals to live and work in the United States as long as they can prove they have at least 50% aboriginal blood.
Whitehead also planned to head south but changed his mind and decided to stay in Canada to remain close to his mother. He joined the Canadian Forces in August 2008 and was posted to Edmonton this June after successfully completing the basic military qualification.
"It was natural for him to go into infantry. He was pretty smart. I'm sure he scored high on his tests," Thomas said.
Whitehead's platoon second-in-command, Sgt. Andrew Forbes, remembers him as "a solid and mature soldier who impressed those he worked for in the short time he was here.
"He had a promising future in the army," Forbes added.
Whitehead leaves behind a three-year-old son, a two-month-old son and his fiancee. A full military funeral will be held today on the Pelican Lake First Nation.
Whitehead's 27-year-old male passenger, who was wearing his seatbelt, was taken to Prince Albert Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He reportedly suffered a fractured skull, said Thomas. RCMP continue to investigate.
CLARA.HO@SUNMEDIA.CA
Ellie