LONGUEUIL, Que. - The sounds of a military rifle salute echoed through the streets outside the church where a funeral was held Monday for Pte. Simon Longtin, who died in Afghanistan.
An honour guard from Quebec's Royal 22nd Regiment also lined the steps of the 19th century church, which was filled with family, friends and military colleagues.
Several hundred people also lined the streets outside St-Antoine de Padoue Roman Catholic Church.
Longtin was the first member of Quebec's Royal 22nd Regiment to be killed in the Afghanistan.
The 23-year-old was described as a devoted soldier who was "courageous and professional'' by Capt. Gilles Sanscartier, a chaplain at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier near Quebec City.
Sanscartier said during the homily that during Longtin's short career, he wanted to help those who were suffering and wanted to help bring them freedom.
Longtin died Aug. 19 when the light armoured vehicle he was in hit a roadside bomb.
His funeral comes a day after the remains of Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, 43, and Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne, 34, both from CFB Valcartier, arrived at CFB Trenton, Ont.
Sixty-nine soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since 2002.
About a dozen veterans of the regiment, known as the Van Doos, also attended the funeral near Montreal to show their support.
Retired Maj.-Gen. Terry Liston, who served for more than 20 years with the Royal 22nd, said Quebecers who are opposed to the Afghan war have that right but shouldn't take it out on soldiers.
"And if they've got a problem with it, speak to the politicians and not to the soldiers,'' he said outside the ornate church.
"Leave it to the politicians and the voting public to determine whether the mission is right or wrong.''
Liston pointed out that hundreds of soldiers from the Van Doos have died in past wars.
"In Korea, we lost a hundred in the space of three years, in the last war we lost we lost 300 in two years and in the first (world) war it was a 1,000,'' said the 69-year-old Liston.
"We're sad, but we're proud ... Longtin, like everybody else, knew the risk he was taking when he joined and he went like a Van Doo.''
Pete Gaudreault, another veteran, said he's disappointed with the lack of support for Canada's mission in Afghanistan in Quebec, adding that the federal government should consider staying in the war-torn country beyond February 2009.
"If we've got to stay and it helps, we should,'' noting that Canada was in Cyprus for 30 years.
During the service, family friend Robert Nault read a list of messages including one from Longtin's mother who said the death of her son Simon was a total shock.
But she said he told her before he left to go to Afghanistan that it was something he really wanted to do.
There was loud and polite applause when Nault said a final goodbye to his "champion.''
Public Works Minister Michael Fortier, who's responsible for the Montreal area, described Longtin as a hero.
"It reminds us that many Canadians have made the ultimate sacrifice to change that part of the world,'' he said after the funeral.
"I'm also a father who has children who are almost the same age as Simon,'' he said after meeting briefly with Longtin's parents outside the church.
"I can't imagine the pain that they're feeling today.''
