Pte. Jonathan Couturier died in a "useless war"

"Vir fortis natus" "Destined Hero" 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. It is always the same and it is always different. The latest Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan apparently considered the mission useless. The brother of Pte. Jonathan Couturier has told a Quebec newspaper the young soldier thought the mission was futile. Such a strong anti-war reaction is rare from a family following the death of a soldier in Afghanistan, but totally understandable given the mounting casualty list in a war that sees no end and people uncapable to change. Liberal Sen. Colin Kenny has called it futile, dubbing it Canada's Vietnam – a comment that has drawn an angry denunciation from military brass. Even Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean has waded into the issue, saying Canada's mission is improving lives in Afghanistan. He died and 11 others were injured when their vehicle drove over a roadside bomb. Lieut.-Col. Joe Paul, the battle group commander, says the 23-year-old Quebec soldier died yesterday morning when his vehicle hit an IED while returning from a mission in the Panjwaii district, southwest of Kandahar city. Paul says the soldiers were clearing a village with plans to have Canadian troops living among the Afghans there to provide security. Couturier is the 131st Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2002. Soldiers gather to say farewell Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan gathered as the sun was setting Friday to say farewell to a fallen brother in arms. Hundreds of soldiers lined the tarmac at the Kandahar Airfield as the body of Pte. Jonathan Couturier was carried in a flag-draped casket to a waiting military transport aircraft. (Sept. 18, 2009)