Funeral in Bradford for soldier killed in Afghanistan

BRADFORD, Ont. - Childhood friends of the latest Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan choked back tears Thursday as they remembered Sapper Brian Collier, a man they said could put a smile on anyone's face.

Collier, who was born in Toronto and raised in Bradford, Ont., died last week in a makeshift bomb attack. He was serving with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group in Edmonton.

His funeral Thursday in this tight-knit Ontario town drew hundreds of mourners, both outside and inside the church, who came to say goodbye to their hometown hero.

Ryan Archibald, 22, became friends with Collier in Grade 9. He said just about anything would make Collier smile as he remembered the joy on his friend's face during a Muskoka fishing trip.

``Seeing him catch that fish with a huge smile on his face was the greatest,'' said Archibald.

Collier's flag-draped coffin arrived at the Holy Martyrs of Japan Roman Catholic Church to a piper's lament.

A giant Canadian flag was hoisted above the driveway of the church by two ladders attached to fire trucks. Mourners clutched small flags and wiped away tears as Collier's coffin was carried into the church.

``Brian was a wonderful son, he was so proud of his family,'' the family said in statement delivered by Rev. Larry Leger during the funeral mass.

``Brian spoke of how brilliant the stars were in that seemingly godforsaken country.''

Collier had left his vehicle in a village about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city when he was killed by an IED blast on July 20.

He had been wounded in an earlier encounter with an improvised explosive device during his tour of duty, which began in May.

Leger told the congregation that Collier had spent the past year reconciling with everyone he thought he may have wronged, as he tried to heal any wound in others and also in himself.

``His great concern was to protect all whom he knew,'' said Leger.

Rev. Boniface Perri described Collier as a hero.

``How do you say there is meaning when all you really want to do is scream out, '24 year olds aren't supposed to die,'' Perri told the congregation.

``But here's one thing I know: Brian's life mattered, it mattered a lot.

``If the value of a man's life is how many people will remember him well, and how many people he touched and loved, and how many people loved him back, then look around to all the people he touched,'' said Perri.

As the funeral ended, stoic pallbearers from the military carried the coffin in silence to the hearse.

Lt. Col. Mark Flint said the family was doing well, showing ``unbelievable strength'' during the service.

``They also have here the parents of Martin Goudreault who was killed a few weeks ago, so they've had a chance to meet the Collier family, so that's also provided tremendous strength and support,'' said Flint.

Sgt. Martin Goudreault, 35, who was good friends with Collier, was killed by an improvised explosive device in the Panjwaii district on June 6.

Many of Collier's friends said even though they knew about the dangers of serving in Afghanistan, they were still unprepared for their friend's death.

``I never thought it would be him,'' said Paul Russell, 23, as he shuffled his feet, ``but he loved what he did.''

Russell said Collier was a fun-loving, a guy who enjoyed adventure.

``He loved his family, his sisters. He was always laughing,'' said Russell.

Collier's family thanked Canadians from ``coast to coast for their tremendous outpouring of prayers and support.''

``This generosity reminds us of Brian's ultimate mission: to bring freedom and prosperity to the people of Afghanistan,'' they said in a statement.

One of Collier's last Facebook posts was about longing for a beer, to which a friend replied one would be waiting for him back home.

Collier was the 151st member of the Canadian military to die during the Afghan mission since it began in 2002.