March 23rd, 2009 - They are Home

Canda received their fallen soldiers as they returned home on Monday. Our fallen soldiers, Master Corporal Scott Francis Vernelli and Corporal Tyler Crooks, of The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, based at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes and Trooper Jack Bouthillier of the Royal Canadian Dragoons based at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, returned home to Canada on Monday, March 23, 2009.

Where: 8 Wing, Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ontario.

When: Monday, March 23, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

Present to pay their respects were Her Excellency The Governor General of Canada, The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Minister of National Defence, The Honourable Peter MacKay, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice-Admiral Denis Rouleau and other dignitaries

The entourage left Trenton not until 3:30 or 4:00 pm after repatriation.

Thank you for joining others along the overpasses on the 401 Westbound from Trenton to Toronto to show your respect and support of families of our fallen, showing them we are there for them, in support of the soldiers and families. Wearing red and flying a flag in our soldiers' honour shows that will remember them for their dedication, courage and heroic work always and forever.

Photo Credit:Fred Thornhill/Reuters

Marcie Lane, the wife of late Master Corporal Scott Vernelli, salutes her husband's casket while carrying their daughter Olivia.

The widow of one of four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan last week almost collapsed from grief Monday as her husband's flag-draped casket was carried from a military aircraft during a repatriation ceremony at this eastern Ontario military base.
As the casket of Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli was brought down the ramp by fellow soldiers, his wife Marcie Lane was so overcome that she had to pass her baby Olivia to a woman beside her.
After the casket was placed inside a hearse, Lane composed herself, walked up to the vehicle and offered a crisp military salute.
The coffin carrying Cpl. Tyler Crooks came down the ramp after Vernelli's, followed by the caskets of Trooper Jack Bouthillier and Trooper Corey Hayes.

Weeping from Crooks's family could be heard across the runway as his casket appeared, and family and friends of the two troopers exchanged tearful hugs when their coffins came down the ramp.
Gov. Gen Michaelle Jean and Defence Minister Peter MacKay were among the dignitaries standing alongside the soldiers' families on the tarmac.
The repatriation ceremony was also attended by about 300 supporters who gathered outside the base on a windy and chilly day.
"As long as I'm able to come here I'll keep coming," said Georgina McQuay of Belleville, Ont.
"When I hear the bagpipes, that does it for me. It causes me to shed a silent tear."

Downtown Toronto
It was 15 minutes of quiet in downtown Toronto. Some 100 supporters stood at attention as the hearses carrying four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan travelled down Grenville St. to the coroner's office.Among those waiting were retired Gen. Rick Hillier, former chief of defence staff, and Toronto police chief Bill Blair. "My heart was torn ... when I heard the news ...," Hillier told a Star reporter later. Earlier in the day, following the repatriation ceremony at CFB Trenton, the convoy made its way along Highway 401 where thousands of residents paid their respects, waving flags from highway overpasses.

♥ MCpl Scott Vernelli, 28, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is survived by his wife and six-month-old daughter, Olivia. He is remembered as an enthusiastic and dedicated father. He was a terrific athlete, very funny and, ironically enough, always able to joke at the worst of times.

♥ Cpl Tyler Crooks, of Port Colborne, Ont., was killed on his 24th birthday, was a keen and motivated soldier who loved dirt-biking and was a Texas Hold 'em card shark. He's remembered by his friends as the kind of guy who would do anything for you without even being asked.

♥ Trooper Jack Bouthillier's family in Hearst, Ont., said last week they truly believed the 20-year-old would return home safely from his mission. He is remembered as a joker who always had everyone laughing. His enthusiasm and his unswerving duty for work inspired other soldiers.

♥ Trooper Corey Hayes, 22, of Ripples, N.B., was remembered by family and friends as a "good kid." was a proud and dedicated soldier who always put his friends and family before himself. His friends remember him not only as a friend and a comrade-in-arms, but a brother who inspired them to stand up in the face of danger and do what was right.

They will all be remembered from within our hearts.