Helped Welcome another Fallen Soldier Home in Canada

Today was the day that Cpl Tyler Crooks of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada was to arrive home.

He was killed on his birthday on March 20, 2009 in Afghanistan. Cpl. Crooks and three other Canadian solders were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near them during a patrol in Zhari District, west of Kandahar City, Afghanistan.

He was due to arrive after 3:50pm in the Town of Lincoln. We originally had decided we would stop on the Victoria Avenue bridge in Vineland to pay our respects with the Jordan Fire Fighters but got word my brother and his team of Fire Fighters from Vineland Fire Department would be at the Tufford Road bridge in Beamsville.

We had just got home from shopping in St. Catharines when two Jordan fire trucks and a police car passed our house. We quickly drove to Beamsville, parked the car and met up with my brother.

What we saw when we arrived.

At this point it was announced over the fire pagers that the ensemble of cars that were to arrive were in Toronto. We weren't moving.

Me waiting.

Bob waiting


Some of the crowd waiting

It was reported approx. 45 minutes to an hour later that they had hit Grimsby

The traffic started to get very scarce until there was no traffic at all on the highway in the oncoming lanes.

and then shortly later the lights appeared in the distance.

The group of cars with flashing lights got closer.....

It was amazing to see the opposite side of the highway traffic slow and pull over.

And they got closer and everyone on the bridge fell silent

Cpl Tyler Crooks -- thank you for what you have done for all of us!!!




Hands waved out of the limo at our bridge immediately following the hearse that carried Cpl. Tyler Crooks.

Bob and I were not able to attend the drive-by that happened for Warrant Officer Dennis Brown. This is the least we could do, pay our respects to another Fallen Soldier.