Families, friends and colleagues of soldiers killed in Afghanistan were present for the unveiling of a special memorial on the Saint John waterfront.
It was a blustery day on the waterfront as those united in grief took in a piper’s lament Friday.
The special memorial bears the names of 158 soldiers who lost their lives while serving the country.
Ken O’Quinn says the first thing he did was look for his son’s name.
His son, Corporal Kenneth Chad O’Quinn was 25-years-old when he was killed in 2009.
"Eight years to us, just seems like yesterday,” says O’Quinn. “Things like this here are a reminder to us, a reminder to everybody, people made the sacrifice.”
Ken Stannix lost his son Corporal Chris Stannix, while he was in Afghanistan.
Stannix said memorials are always difficult because they bring back memories, but they’re important to attend.
"It's heartwarming that so many people come out to this type of event to support the families and to remember those who have fallen,” Stannix says.
Laurie Greenslade says a parent’s greatest fear is that their child’s sacrifice will be forgotten.
“So having this here for people to remember and see the names is very important to us," she says.
The ceremony also brought together veterans of the Afghan mission like Corporal John Errington of the Base Gagetown Combat Training Centre.
"It starts to hit home,” Eerington says. “People are reminded of the incredible sacrifice that many soldiers had to pay."
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.
