Prince George Soldier Dies From Afghan Injuries

Monday, March 22, 2010 10:26 AM

Prince George- This region has suffered its second fatality of the Afghan war. Cpl Darren James Fitzpatrick passed away late Saturday afternoon in Edmonton surrounded by his family, from injuries he received in a bomb blast in Afghanistan on March 6^th.

Cpl. Fitzpatrick, of Prince George, B.C., was a 21-year-old Infantryman and a member of the 3^rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based at CFB Edmonton.

This was Cpl. Fitzpatrick's first operational tour. He joined the Canadian Forces in 2006 and had been serving in Afghanistan with the Operational Mentor Liaison Team since last October.

Cpl. Fitzpatrick was critically wounded by an improvised explosive device during a joint Canadian/Afghan dismounted patrol 25 km West of Kandahar City in Zharey district on March 6. He was treated at the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Airfield and was then moved to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Cpl. Fitzpatrick was evacuated from LRMC to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton on Friday.

Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick passed away late Saturday afternoon surrounded by his family.

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Posted on Monday, March 22, 2010 10:26 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Anastasia on March 22 2010 10:41 AM

God Bless you for all you gave!! Thank you

RIP - condolences to family and friends

Posted by: detoe43 on March 22 2010 10:42 AM

The second fatality for this region.
Matt McCully lost his life in Afghanistan
a few years ago. Sad that a young man is
cut down in the prime of his life. I hope
the family will find peace & comfort in the difficult days ahead. Rest in Peace
Darren.

Posted by: Had2Move on March 22 2010 11:53 AM

Thank you to this brave soldier for all he has given. May the family find peace in his memories and know that a nation is forever grateful for his sacrafice.

Posted by: greatmysticbushape on March 22 2010 12:16 PM

I wish I had half the courage he has.

Posted by: borneo60 on March 22 2010 1:22 PM

RIP - condolences to family and friends

Posted by: seamutt on March 22 2010 1:29 PM

Stand down soldier.

Posted by: chrislivingdowntown on March 22 2010 1:31 PM

Sorry to hear. :(

Posted by: opinionated on March 22 2010 1:50 PM

Canada has no business being in that war!!!!!

Posted by: flowerchild on March 22 2010 2:10 PM

Opinionated,
I would hope we could take the time to offer our condolences, rather than get into a heated debate about why he was there in the first place. His family and friends need our support and understanding that they have suffered a tremendous loss. This young man made a choice. Whether we agree with it or not, he did make the ultimate sacrifice and his family has been shaken to the core. This is not the time for political discussions, it is the time for hugs, and tears.

Posted by: opinionated on March 22 2010 2:28 PM

flowerchild, my heart breaks for the family. He gave his life to make the world a better place. I just hate war and to loose a young brave man like this infuriates me.

Posted by: gus on March 22 2010 4:04 PM

I send my condolences to the family as well.

But tomorrow is another day. And the day after that is too. We are not reminded on a daily basis what this "mission" costs us. It is only when someone loses their life that we are reminded.

In fact, we are not even reminded to any great extent when someone loses a leg, or becomes a paraplegic, or suffers from PTSD for the rest of their lives.

So, to some of us that is the question that pops up at this time.

The question, as in some other wars, is what is really gained? What is there to show in the end? Contain the Afghan probelm within theior borders and move out. Even the smarter Afghans have done so in the last few decades.

So, what should be the legacy not only of this gentleman that died, but all those others who have died? Should it be to keep on sending solidiers in as canon fodder? Or should it be to start working to get them out? Which is the one we as a Country would be most proud of?

When I hear about these deaths, those are the thoughts that come to mind. Those are the thoughts that would come to mind if I were to go to a memorial service. Sorry, just the way I think about this.

As the song says: "when will they ever learn?"

Posted by: RIP commonsense on March 22 2010 9:18 PM

Freedom of speech many times is hard fought, remember who gave it to you and post accordingly.

Posted by: gus on March 23 2010 6:45 AM

Sort of a catch 22. Fight a war to protect freedom of speech, but remove the freedom when one opposed militarism. I thought we had settled that question with VietNam.

The war in Afghanistan has nothing to do with freedom of speech. It has to do with protecting one tribal community to grow their poppies to supply the world opium trade as opposed to another tribal group that grows the same crop but does not carry weight with a corrup regime sitting in Kabul.

It is a 1,000 year situation. No one has been able to change Afghanistan for centuries. To think that the current countries that have their people there is wishful thinking.

An interesting quote from former USA President and Supreme Allied Commander in WWII Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly, I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing."

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk/Afghan-war-unwinnable-says-UK.4559924.jp

Posted by: Eagleone on March 23 2010 9:50 PM

I disagree about the freedom of speech being 'given to us'.

Freedom of speech is a god given right of nature and not one that is granted by man. Good men like Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick play a role in protecting this right, but they did not grant it.

RIP Cpl. Fitzpatrick and my condolences to the family.