Fallen soldier 'was part of us'
The sign in front of the New Maryland Esso says, 'We will remember,' as 24 Canadian flags barely stir in the humid air.
Flags in front of village buildings remained at half-mast Wednesday as many in the community just outside Fredericton paused to ponder the life of a polite young man with friendly eyes behind his wire-rimmed eyeglasses.
The flags are a reminder that Pte. Colin Wilmot, an army medic who died in a bomb explosion in Afghanistan, was just 24 years old.
The body of the fallen soldier arrived on Canadian soil at Canadian Forces Base Trenton mid-afternoon Wednesday with National Defence Minister Peter MacKay and other officials on hand for the repatriation ceremony.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.
"He was part of us," said Pam Gilbert, general manager of the Esso store, and the woman who hired Wilmot the year before he joined the military.
Gilbert was impressed with the young man who worked at the nearby Pizza Twice restaurant before asking her for a job at the convenience store.
"He was so polite. So pleasant," Gilbert said Wednesday.
Wilmot worked with Gilbert and store manager Jarrett Wilkins from November 2004 to November 2005.
He lived in a subdivision just across the street.
It was his last job in his neighbourhood before embarking on his military career.
"He was just a nice young guy. Always came into work smiling. Happy, go-lucky. He wanted to serve his country. When he left he was excited he got accepted," Wilkins said.
"We're a community store. Everyone comes to the store and chats and everyone remembers who he was. We're a small family store and he was part of our family still," Wilkins said.
Wilmot sustained critical injuries in a roadside bomb attack at 12:50 a.m. Kandahar time Saturday and later died of his wounds. He was working with an overnight foot patrol with troops from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in the Panjwaii district.
Wilmot, who once joked that he decided to become a medic because of the television show MASH, was the 87th soldier to die as part of the Afghan mission, which started in 2002.
In Kandahar City, at the construction camp where he was posted, colleagues recalled how he wasn't originally scheduled to join the current rotation, but demanded to be sent after winning the top award at the Canadian Force's medic course. He was to return home in September.
Melissa Laagland-Winder of Oromocto described Wilmot as a down-to-earth guy who always seemed to be in good spirits.
A graduate of Fredericton High School, Wilmot's family had a long history of military service. His stepfather Eric Craig is a warrant officer with 2 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery at CFB Petawawa in Ontario.
Craig is due to be deployed to Kandahar soon.
Wilmot's paternal grandfather William Wilmot spent 25 years in the military.
Soldiers at 1 Field Ambulance at the Edmonton Garrison - which was Wilmot's home base - are expected to participate in an honour guard at a funeral service later this month.
Wilmot is survived by his fiancée Laura. He was predeceased by his mother.
With files from The Canadian Press
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