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Afghanistan war memorial arrives in Lacombe

Jun 29, 2017 | 4:11 PM

Lacombe will soon be home to a memorial honouring the 40,000 Canadian soldiers who served in Afghanistan, including the 162 who lost their lives.

The federal and provincial governments, City of Lacombe and dozens of local residents have come together to bring a Canadian Light Armour Vehicle III (LAVIII) to Lacombe. It was unveiled at the Lacombe Legion Thursday afternoon and will eventually find its permanent home at the Field of Honour in Lacombe’s cemetery.

It’s a fitting location given that Master Cpl. Byron Greff, a Lacombe native, was the final Canadian soldier killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan.

“[It means] a great deal,” his mother, Candace Greff said Thursday. “The pride beams from our family towards Byron. It’s been almost six years, but it doesn’t feel like six years to us. Byron was doing what he loved and what he wanted to do. Unfortunately we lost him.”

When asked what she’d like people to feel when they see the memorial, Greff simply said, “Pride — in the work that people in the Armed Forces do every day all over the world and offer their support to all of them regardless of what they’re doing. That’s the most important thing.”

Red Deer – Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins helped lead the movement to bring the memorial to Lacombe after 250 were made available to communities across Canada.

“The reason [we’ve done this] is remembrance,” he said. “As a member of parliament, one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make was sending our young men and women into harm’s way. I own that, that’s on me. But at the time, we thought it was the right thing to do and I still believe it was the right thing to do to help those around the world that needed our help.”

Lacombe Mayor Steve Christie paid tribute to Greff, who served in the Third Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and the sacrifice he made on behalf of his country.

“The LAV will stand in Lacombe Cemetery’s Field of Honour in memory of all the soldiers, but in our hearts, it’s there for Byron,” he said. “The monument represents an incredible sense of pride that we feel right here in Lacombe.”

The LAV, which currently sits on a flatbed trailer, will be featured in the Lacombe Days parade on July 29 with a commemorative ceremony scheduled for later that afternoon.