The
parents of the reservist killed in a suicide
bombing near Kandahar told CBC Monday their son
died for a worthy cause and that they wouldn't
stop their daughter, also a soldier, from
returning to serve in Afghanistan.
Cpl. Jason Warren 29, of Montreal, of
Edmonton died on July 22 when a suicide bomber
blew up his vehicle close to their troop carrier
near the coalition base in Kandahar.
Deborah and Gerald Warren believe their son died
fighting for a cause he believed in.
Gerald and Deborah Warren said they believe
their son died fighting for a cause he believed
in.
"I asked him, 'Do you feel you're accomplishing
anything there? Because for a lot of people
here, it seems very hopeless," said Gerald
Warren. "And he said, "Yes, and we are
accomplishing, It's not easy and it's a long
haul, but there are some achievements there.' "
The Warrens said they last talked to their son
by satellite phone just two days before the
fatal attack.
"I told him, I said 'We've got your back Jason,'
and I love you so much and he said 'I love you
Mom,' " said Deborah Warren.
Cpl. Warren served with the Black Watch, the
Royal Highland Regiment of Canada. It was his
second overseas mission, following a deployment
in Bosnia in 2002.
Eight others, including one Canadian, were
injured in the attack that killed Gomez and
Warren.
Coalition soldiers honoured the pair of fallen
soldiers in a ceremony at Kandahar Airfield two
days after the bombing, with Canadian military
officials gathering at CFB Trenton in eastern
Ontario last Thursday at a repatriation
ceremony.
"Those
guys in Afghanistan treated our son with such
dignity and we felt such an outpouring of love
from them and we know that it's hard for them,"
said Gerald Warren.
Cpl. Rachel Warren of the Royal Canadian
Dragoons of Petawawa, Ont., has already done two
tours of duty in Afghanistan as a soldier and
plans to return.
"I would never, never try to stop her," said
Deborah Warren. "It would be so hard as a
mother. I would not want to lose another child,
but I would never stand in her way. Just hug her
a lot before she leaves.
"Her gut reaction is a soldier's gut reaction:
I'd like to go finish what Jason tried to
accomplish," added a tearful Gerald Warren.
The funeral for Cpl. Warren will be held in
Montreal on Wednesday.
A private funeral will be held for Cpl. Gomez on
Tuesday in Edmonton.
Last week, George Gomez, the soldier's father,
said he died for a worthy cause.
"We are not broken up about his death because we
know from the philosophy that we have, he is
still alive," said Gomez.
Since Canada began its mission in Afghanistan in
2002, 19 soldiers and one diplomat have been
killed.