National Day of Honour commemorates mission in Afghanistan - Action News
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Ottawa

National Day of Honour commemorates mission in Afghanistan

The National Day of Honour is a bittersweet event for Stephen Good and Mark Pusztai, who lost their brother to a roadside bomb north of Kandahar in January 2009. CBCNews.ca is livestreaming today's ceremony in Ottawa.

The 40,000 who fought and the 158 who fell in Afghanistan to be honoured during one-time event

National Day of Honour today

10 years ago
Duration 5:28
The 40,000 who fought mission in Afghanistan and the 158 who fell to be honoured during one-time event

Stephen Good and Mark Pusztai havemarked Jan.7 as a day of remembrancesince 2009.

That was the year their brother, Trooper Brian Richard Good, was killed byroadside bomb north of Kandahar at the age of 42.

"I always worried about him, right. But it's one of those things," Goodsaid."I didn't think it would end like this. Nobody ever thinks that."

CBC's main coverage of the National Day of Honour will be between noon ET and 2:30 p.m. on CBC News Network and will be livestreamed on CBCNews.ca.

There's a family behind every soldier- Stephen Good, brother of fallen soldier Brian Richard Good

The National Day of Honour on May 9 gives Good andPusztaianother day to pay tribute totheir brother and all the other men and women who were killed or wounded during Canada's 12-year military mission in Afghanistan.

The 40,000 who fought and the 158 who diedwill be honoured during a national ceremony on Parliament Hill.

"It's not an every year event. It's a one time and that's what I kind of like about it," Good said."It seals the mission."
Stephen Good (left) and Mark Pusztai (right) pay tribute to their brother, Brian Good, who died in Afghanistan in January 2009. (CBC)

BrianGood was a brother, husband and father of two.

"He was a loving family man who was taken from us too soon,"Pusztaisaid.

"There's a family behind every soldier," Good said."Ithink it's important that people realize the sacrifice of all of our troops, whether it's militaryor police or paramedics, diplomats or [members]of Foreign Affairs everybody who was out there trying to help out."

Good has a message for his brother:"You'll always be remembered. And I love you."

Brian Good Avenue in Ottawa's Riverside South communitywill make sure of that, he said.

"The Brian Good name will stick around for a while, which is nice," he said.

Injured veterans bring flag to Parliament Hill

The National Day of Honour also pays tribute to aCanadian diplomat, a Department of National Defencecontractor, an embedded Canadian journalistand more than 40 United States Armed Forces members who were killed whileunder Canadian commandin Afghanistan.

A team of injured veterans will also arrive on Parliament Hill on Friday at the end of atrek from Canadian Forces BaseTrenton. Members of the Solider On relay have been carrying aspecially constructed baton that holds the last Canadian flag to fly at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul. It will be presented to Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the ceremony.

The parade is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. ET in front of the Canadian War Museum and proceed along Wellington Street all the way to Parliament Hill. It will includeCanadian Armed Forces personnel, RCMP members,local police officersand civilians who took part in themission in Afghanistan.

Governor General David Johnston will receive the parade at 1 p.m., along with avice-regal inspection and a 21-gun salute.

At1:30 p.m., a single gun shot will signal two minutes ofsilence, which will be capped offwith a Royal Canadian Air Force flyby.