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Topic: passing of Cpl. Matthew McCully (Read 1053 times)
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Fred Deadman
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Cpl. Matthew J. McCully was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near a combined Canadian /Afghan patrol close to the village of Nalgham (DND Photo)
Canadian soldiers bid farewell to fallen comrade
Updated Sat. May. 26 2007 1:28 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The body of a Canadian soldier killed Friday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, is heading home.
Cpl. Matthew McCully's flag-draped coffin was carried to a waiting Hercules aircraft Saturday morning by his fellow soldiers at Kandahar Airfield.
Others stood in a rigid military salute as the procession passed by, and as a piper's mournful tune echoed across the base.
McCully, 25, grew up in Orangeville, Ont., but his father and step-mother live in Prince George, B.C.
He was described as a likeable and professional soldier by Maj. Peter Sullivan, acting commander of Canada's Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team, or OMLT, of which McCully was a member.
"Matt McCully was a tremendously professional soldier," Sullivan said Saturday at Kandahar Airfield.
"I found him certainly to be a mature young man, and somebody whose company was enjoyed by all, so he will be greatly missed."
The OMLT team trains Afghans to fight as organized units.
McCully, who was based out of CFB Petawawa, was killed during Operation Hoover, an operation intended to push Taliban militants out of the volatile Zhari district.
He is the 55th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
The incident occurred roughly 35 kilometres west of Kandahar City in the volatile Zhari district. Operation Hoover is the largest offensive in nearly two months that Canadian troops have participated in.
McCully, a signals operator from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, died alongside the Afghan soldiers he helped mentor.
"During this operation the Afghan forces were moving forward, leading this operation to clear some of the areas, making sure that the Afghan people there were secure and that there were no Taliban in the area," Col. Mike Cessford, deputy commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan, confirmed Friday.
"Our mentoring team are comrades-in-arms with the Afghans -- they share the risk, they work closely with them -- and unfortunately as the soldier was moving forward with other Canadians and other Afghan soldiers an IED was triggered and he was killed."
One other Canadian soldier, also a member of the mentoring team, and an Afghan interpreter were wounded in the incident. The Canadian was airlifted to Kandahar Airfield with non-life threatening injuries, while the Afghan stayed with the unit.
Gen. Rick Hillier, Chief of Defence Staff, said in Toronto Friday McCully served an extremely important role in giving Afghans the necessary tools to help bring security to their country.
"One of our key lines of operation is to help build the capacity of the Afghan people to do their own security," Hillier told CTV's Mike Duffy Live.
"We do that by working the Afghan National Army, which started about four-and-a-half years ago, and helping make their soldiers into trained, effective, professional soldiers. And turn those soldiers as collectives into effective units."
Operation Hoover also includes Portuguese soldiers and British air support but troops from the Afghan National Army are taking the lead in the charge.
On Saturday, there was word that a British soldier had been killed by an explosion during a fight with Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan. Also in the south, in Helmand province, seven Taliban fighters, including two local commanders, were killed in a joint coalition-Afghan operation in Gereshk district on Friday, the Interior Ministry said.
Another Taliban commander who was detained in Nangarhar province by coalition forces and Afghan border police, headed a roadside bomb cell responsible for killing and injuring Afghans, the coalition said in a statement.
With files from The Canadian Press
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Orangeville soldier heads home TheStar.com - News - Orangeville soldier heads home
Canadian troops bid farewell to slain colleague Cpl. Matt McCully
May 26, 2007
Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The mournful skirl of bagpipes echoed across the tarmac at Kandahar Airfield today as Canadian soldiers, for the first time in more than a month, sent a fallen comrade on the first leg of his long journey home.
Eight members of Cpl. Matthew McCully’s squadron, their faces taut with the physical and emotional weight of the task at hand, carried his flag-draped coffin to a waiting Hercules.
On either side, hundreds of troops, including members of the Operational Mentoring and Liason Team to which McCully belonged, and the Afghan National Army soldiers he helped to train, stood stock-still in rigid salute as the coffin passed by.
Among the attendees were Lt.-Col. Rob Walker, commander of the battle group, and Brig.-Gen. Tim Grant, commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan, who stood alongside Arif Lalani, the newly appointed Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan.
“You never get used to that,” Walker said when the ramp ceremony was over.
McCully died Friday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device during Operation Hoover, a massive, multi-pronged offensive involving Afghan, Portuguese and Canadian forces all under Walker’s command.
As a member of the mentoring and liaison team, McCully was part of a group of soldiers helping to develop Afghanistan’s military into a cohesive unit that NATO officials hope will one day be able to provide security without the help of coalition forces.
McCully was the 55th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2002. His death came more than a month after Master Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer of the elite special forces died April 18 in a fall from a communications tower while on surveillance duty in Kandahar city.
McCully was a well-liked young man who believed in his mission and acquitted himself well on the battlefield, said Maj. Peter Sullivan, the OMLT’s acting commander.
“Matt McCully was a tremendously professional soldier,” Sullivan said, a limp Canadian flag flying at half-mast at a cenotaph behind him.
“I found him certainly to be a mature young man, and somebody whose company was enjoyed by all, so he will be greatly missed.”
McCully, 25, would have wanted the OMLT’s mission to continue, and would have been proud of how the Afghan troops he helped train performed in Friday’s operation, Sullivan said.
McCully was a signals operator from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron based in Petawawa, Ont..
He served as a communicator and radio operator for both Afghan and Canadian troops in the field — their “lifeline,” Sullivan said.
McCully was described by his fellow soldiers as a friendly and well-liked member of the team — attributes that Sullivan said helped in his work with both Afghan and Canadian colleagues.
“I think that characteristic of him, his personality, went beyond just wearing a uniform and really helped with his relationship with the Afghans as well,” he said.
“He was well-respected and the interactions between Matt and his fellow soldiers and the Afghans was something that was beneficial to everyone.”
McCully’s friends, family and acquaintances, even total strangers who just wanted to pay their respects, were leaving photos and messages of condolence and tribute on a Facebook page set up in his memory.
“To see the happiness on Matt’s face in these (pictures) is so comforting to his family,” said a posting from his mother, Michelle.
“We only had him a short time, but our memories will last a lifetime.”
One friend described McCully as “the kind of man who instils confidence in those around him just by being there.”
“When he speaks people listen because he always has something intelligent to contribute,” the message read. ”I speak in the present tense because he will always be with us.”
McCully was moving south to engage the enemy along with the Afghan fighters who were leading Friday’s charge when the explosion occurred.
But Sullivan was quick to point out that members of the OMLT are in no more danger than any other soldiers simply because they’re working with the Afghans, who have a reputation as aggressive and fearless fighters.
“We work together, we train together, we plan together, and we soldier together and fight together,” Sullivan said.
“If we didn’t have complete confidence in going out on operations with the Afghan National Army, we wouldn’t do it.”
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Mike Blais
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Body of Cpl. McCully returns home to Canada
Cpl. Matthew J. McCully was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near a combined Canadian /Afghan patrol close to the village of Nalgham (DND Photo)
Cpl. Matthew J. McCully was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near a combined Canadian /Afghan patrol close to the village of Nalgham (DND Photo)
CTV.ca News Staff
Updated: Mon. May. 28 2007 7:32 AM ET
The remains of Cpl. Matthew McCully will be received by friends and family today at CFB Trenton during a repatriation ceremony.
The 25-year-old soldier from Orangeville, Ont. was killed on Friday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device during Operation Hoover in Afghanistan.
The massive offensive, involving Afghan, Portuguese and Canadian forces, was designed to drive Taliban insurgents out of an enemy stronghold in Zhari district, north of the Arghandab River.
McCully was a signals operator from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron based in Petawawa, Ont.
He was also a member of Canada's Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team.
The goal of the team is to work with the Afghanistan military to develop it into a cohesive security unit with the hope that it will provide security in Afghanistan when coalition forces depart.
McCully's unit gave the fallen soldier a solemn send off from Kandahar Airfield on Friday.
He was remembered as an excellent soldier who believed in the mission and had a desire to do battle in Afghanistan.
McCully is the 55th Canadian soldier to be killed in combat in Afghanistan since 2002.
With files from the Canadian Press
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Jim Hickson
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Cpl McCully. May your ultimate sacrifice be not forgotten. I send my heart felt condolences to the family and friends.
Jim
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BJ MacLean
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May he forever rest in peace.
He surely has earned it.
BJ
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Local soldier killed in Afghanistan Local soldier killed in Afghanistan
Monday May 28 2007
RICHARD VIVIAN, Banner Staff Writer
When two Canadian Armed Forces personnel showed up at Valerie McGrady's door late last week, she knew there was bad news. But she wasn't prepared for what she was about to hear.
Her son, Cpl. Matthew J. McCully, 25, was killed when an improvised bomb went off while he was mentoring Afghan soldiers in an area where insurgents had struck before.
"I thought they were going to tell me that Matt was badly injured. Then they told me what happened. I thought maybe they had the wrong person," she shares with The Banner. "I'm still numb and I'm still finding it unbelievable that it happened."
The bomb detonated at about 8 a.m. Kandahar time Friday, while a joint Afghan/Canadian team was on patrol close to the village of Nalgham, about 35 kilometres west of Kandahar City.
"This incident did happen during Operation Hoover, and that's a joint Afghan/Canadian operation ... to establish security in an area where Afghan security forces had been attacked over the past week," explains Karen Johnstone, Department of National Defence spokesperson. "They were working closely with their Afghan partners when this happened."
A second Canadian soldier suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the explosion. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital at Kandahar Air Force base for treatment. An Afghan interpreter also received minor injuries; he remained in the field.
"It's a tragic event and I'm extending my condolences on behalf of the people of Dufferin-Caledon to the family and loved ones ... on this sad event," MP David Tilson says. "Talking to people over the weekend, people are concerned and their thoughts and prayers are with [the family]."
A five-year veteran of the Canadian army, McCully, who grew up in Orangeville, was on his second non-consecutive tour in Afghanistan. He left in February and was expected to return home in August.
"He was just really gung-ho about the army. He loved it. He was going to make it a life-long career," McGrady says. "He had aspirations to join the special forces after Afghanistan."
Adventurous even as a child, McCully used to enjoy exploring caves alongside his younger siblings, Shannon and Daniel, during family hikes along the trails of Mono, she says.
"He loved doing that.... He had no fear," McGrady says. "He was a kid who loved to take things apart and put them back together."
It was during his time at Orangeville District secondary school, where he finished out his diploma after attending Robert F. Hall Catholic high school in Caledon, that McCully got his first taste of the Armed Forces.
"In Grade 12 ... he joined the co-op program and he picked the [Army] Reserves. He found that he really loved it," says McGrady. "He wanted to fly eventually. He wanted to learn to fly a helicopter."
The family travelled to CFB Trenton Monday evening for a repatriation ceremony, which welcomes fallen soldiers home to Canada for the last time.
"Shannon and Danny are taking it pretty hard," the mother says, noting the army arranged for a grief counsellor to visit the family home. "The army has been very, very supportive. They have sent Matthew's commanding officer ... to be with us. He's handling all the arrangements, doing all the phone calls."
A military service, open to the public, will be held Thursday at Tweedsmuir Presbyterian Church on John Street, beginning at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be followed by refreshments at the local Legion.
"We've been receiving many condolences from Orangeville," notes McGrady, who moved from Orangeville to Mansfield earlier this year. "Canadians really care about the Armed Forces. They really care when one of the soldiers dies."
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Clair "WHYTIE" Whyte
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All of Canada says goodbye to two brave soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. As we say goodbye to Cpl. Matthew McCully and Mcpl. Darrell Priede, we acknowledge their committment and dedication for the Canadian Armed Forces, Canada and the world. They will now and forever more be remembered as True Canadian Heroes and we salute them on their journey and give thanks for the great jobs they did.
Rest In Peace Our Fallen Comrades
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I cant say it better Whytie, Amen to that and them, and thankyou ...ranrad
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BJ MacLean
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Whytie
very nicely said. I echo your thoughts on these two brave men.
RIP
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RIP fellows God bless and keep you
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Don Marche
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Yes very well said is right, RIP.
Don
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Jim Hickson
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Very well said Whytie
Jim
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Fred Deadman
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Rest in peace guys you gave the ultimate sacrafice
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SALUTING..........TO THE FRONT .......SALUTE!!!!!!.............TWO OF CANADA'S HEROES JUST PASSED BY......R.I.P. AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU BOTH
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MAY THEY ALL REST IN PEACE, THEY SERVED WELL GOD BLESS.
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Father strives to keep slain soldier's memory alive
Updated Fri. Nov. 9 2007 9:21 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Ron McCully will receive an award on Saturday from Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on behalf of his son, who was killed six months ago in Afghanistan.
Cpl. Matthew McCully, 25, was killed by an improvised explosive device in May while on foot patrol in a village west of Kandahar. Since then, McCully has made it his own personal mission to turn his son's death into something positive.
What began as a project to establish a scholarship in his son's name developed into a plan to build a monument to his unit in Kingston. Now McCully and others are in the process of creating a healing centre to support troops returning home and dealing with physical and emotional trauma, and to lobby on behalf of families who have lost children in war.
It's all under the banner of the Matthew McCully Foundation.
He told CTV's Canada AM his goal is to keep his son's memory alive.
"The Canadian military, for the way they treated myself and my family, I owe them a debt. I owe them a debt for taking care of my son and making it such a great part of his life, something he truly believed in," said an emotional McCully.
He said his son believed in what the Canadian Forces are doing in Afghanistan, and once told his father the work there is more about building schools and helping the Afghan people, than about bullets and bombs.
"It is my understanding that there's 90,000 children under the ages of five years old that are alive today in Afghanistan because of the efforts of our Canadian Armed Forces and the armed forces of other countries. That's a staggering amount," McCully said.
As part of his efforts to develop the healing centre, McCully will be embarking on a national tour in March, speaking at schools, churches and youth groups and visiting army bases to speak to soldiers about how the foundation can help.
He said he believes his son would be proud of him if he were alive today.
"I believe he would, honestly. But I am so proud of him, just as he's beside me right now."
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