ROXTON POND, Que. - A military honour guard lined the steps to the church Saturday where loved ones laid to rest a young Quebec soldier who took his life after being wounded in Afghanistan.
Hundreds of mourners followed the procession through the main street of Frederic Couture's home town of Roxton Pond, a quiet community surrounded by maple trees approximately 90 kilometres southeast of Montreal.
Couture, a soldier with the Royal 22nd Regiment based in Valcartier, Que., was 21 last Dec. 16 when he was out on patrol with a contingent of Canadian and Afghan soldiers in the dangerous Panjwaii district of Afghanistan.
It was the first day of Operation Falcon's Summit, and the soldiers were headed out to a nearby village to determine what kind of help residents would need to get through the winter.
At least a half-dozen others passed by before the young Quebecer's foot came down on a landmine buried in the desert sand.
His left foot was amputated and he was at home recuperating when he died.
Couture put on a brave face in media interviews in the months following the December 2006 explosion but he took his own life earlier this month.
The coroner is investigating his death.
At the family's request, The Canadian Press did not attend his funeral service Saturday.
A friend said Couture wanted to return to the army.
Couture's death has put a focus on the issue of post-traumatic stress for soldiers returning from Afghanistan.
A recent military survey of returned soldiers found that nearly 400 of 2,700 who had served in Kandahar may have come home with mental health problems.
The survey found problems ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to suicidal tendencies, although high-risk drinking was the predominant issue for soldiers who responded to the survey.
Military officials said they have programs available for soldiers and their families.
