View larger image Soldiers carry a coffin of a Canadian soldier during a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield for Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard in Afghanistan on Thursday. (CP / Bill Graveland)
View larger image Soldiers carry the coffins of Canadian soldiers during a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield on Thursday. (CP / Bill Graveland) Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard, his battalion's regimental sergeant major Cpl. Albert Storm, of the Royal Canadian Regiment based in CFB Petawawa (Canadian Forces / Department of National Defence)
Bodies of killed Canadian soldiers returning home
CTV.ca News Staff
The bodies of two Canadian soldiers killed in a suicide attack last Monday are on their way home from Afghanistan.
Hundreds of Canadian, U.S., Dutch and British soldiers attended the ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield to pay tribute to Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard and Cpl. Albert Storm.
The flag of the Royal Canadian Regiment fluttered in the breeze as the two victims were loaded into the belly of a C-130 Hercules. A lone bagpiper played a mournful tune in the background.
Both men were killed in a suicide car bombing attack on their Bison armoured personnel carrier near Kadahar.
A number of soldiers reflected on the impact that the men had on their lives.
Having served with Storm in Kosovo, Cpl. Victor Thibault, 38, of Digby, N.S., spoke to The Canadian Press about his feelings of sadness.
"It's very hard for me to do it but I know my colleague, my friend and soldier, is going home to a restful place,'' said Thibault.
"He's done what he had to do and I believe that's good... He was a good friend. I will miss him," he said.
Both soldiers were members of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, based in Petawawa, Ont.
Storm was a native of Fort Erie, Ont. and Girouard was from Bathurst, N.B.
Cpl. William Guse, a medic, spoke earlier in the week about his memories of Girouard from battle school.
"He had a definite hand in shaping me as a soldier and a man. I can honestly say that,'' said Guse, who was born in Victoria.
"I'm a better soldier for him having been my platoon warrant in battle school.''
For Canada, there had been no fatalities since Sgt. Darcy Tedford and Pte. Blake Williamson died in an ambush west of Kandahar City on Oct. 14.
There are about 2,500 Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan. Including Monday's deaths, 44 have died since 2002, plus one diplomat.
With files from The Canadian Press
The bodies of two Canadian soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Kandahar, Afghanistan were brought back to Canada. Both were from CFB Petawawa located in Petawawa, Ontario.

Their vehicle has intercepted on a road by a suicide bomber. A helicopter came helping all injured and possibly dead soldiers into it where they received medical attention somewhere safe. This time, their vehicle was blown up by a man's car when he drived into them and detonated his car. Two Canadians were killed, the rest were injured.

Canadian, U.S., Dutch, and British soldiers stood at Kandhar Airfield Thursday to farewell Cpl. Albert Storm and Officer Robert Girouard. A piper played ''Amazing Grace'' as the Canadian flag-covered coffins were carried onto the C-130 Hercules aircraft for their flight home.

"It's very hard for me to do it but I know my colleague, my friend and soldier, is going home to a restful place," Cpl. Victor Thibault, 38, of Digby, Nova Scotia said to the Canadian Press. "He's done what he had to do and I believe that's good... He was a good friend. I will miss him," he said. 

Forty-four Canadian soldiers as well as one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002. About 2,500 Canadian troops are serving in Afghanistan.