Latest hero to give all in Afghanistan had Hamilton ties

"He believed in the mission and he wanted to do what was right."-Father of slain soldier. I found this fitting song composed by MacPhee, Schram, Howe in my files simply entitled "Ode To The Canadian Soldier "and uploaded to imeem. Please give a listen. The lyrics pay tribute to the men and women who are "Fighting for freedom and staying the course. I also found this video tribute to our fallen soldiers. Canada's latest casualty in Afghanistan is a Brantford native who married his high school sweetheart and was looking forward to having children. Captain Richard (Steve) Leary, 32, was shot while leading a foot patrol involving Canadian and Afghan soldiers that was ambushed in the Panjwaii district yesterday morning. He is the 84th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan. Leary was born and raised in Brantford, where he met Rachel. They married there in 2002. He attended Brantford Collegiate Institute and played on its football team. He later attended McMaster University, where he received an undergraduate degree in history and religion, working for a bricklaying company on the side. Leary was with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., where he lived with his wife, Rachel. "Rich Leary - Steve as he was known to his family - was a very stoic individual, very solid leader, extremely loyal and renowned for his loyalty to his troops," Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Corbould told reporters afterwards. "It was always the mission and his men. more full story Peace