Dreaded homecoming; Body of Thunder Bay reservist flown to Trenton

Clouds broke to shine light on grief of his loved ones

Anna Piekarski, Toronto Star, 13 Jul 06

His homecoming should have been joyous, a loving son hugging

his parents and girlfriend after coming back from the battlefield,

but instead those he loved linked arms and cried, watching as a

casket was lifted off a plane.

Anthony Boneca, the 21-year-old reservist from the Lake Superior

Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, died in a firefight near

Pahmol, west of Kandahar City, in Afghanistan on Sunday.

His visibly grief-stricken parents Shirley and Antonio *Boneca*

leaned on each other for support, as they stared at the flag-draped

coffin of their only son. His tour of duty was scheduled to be over

in three weeks.

Anthony's girlfriend Megan DeCorte fell into the arms of her

parents at the sight of the coffin carrying his body.

Boneca's loved ones stood beside dignitaries yesterday at CFB

Trenton awaiting the plane, with media present at the family's

request. Rain fell all day, stopping less than an hour before the

aircraft touched down at 7 p.m.

Governor General Michaelle Jean, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor,

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier and members of the military

were there to join in remembering the ultimate sacrifice *Boneca* made

for his country.

The grey Airbus broke through clouds just as the sun appeared,

turning the rain-soaked tarmac into a blinding surface of light.

A bagpiper played as the body was placed in the hearse - the sound

of Megan's sobs the only other noise.

Clutching flowers, family members kissed the petals before placing

them on the casket.

There has been debate surrounding *Boneca*'s death, based on accounts

he gave to those back home about his two tours of duty in

Afghanistan.

His girlfriend's father Larry DeCorte told the Star on Sunday that

Boneca was unhappy about conditions of his recent Kandahar posting,

including one three-week-long foot patrol without adequate food or

water.

"He hated it over there. He was misled as to what was going to be

there when he got there, and what he would be doing. He was very mad

about it," DeCorte said.

DeCorte said Boneca was not suicidal but he even went to an army

priest to see if talk of suicide would get him discharged.

Boneca's father issued a statement Tuesday saying Anthony loved the

army and he knew what he was getting into.

It upset his son to see the conditions in Afghanistan - the 50C

weather, the sand and the hardships the children endured.

"Certainly Anthony wanted to come home, but I ask what soldier

wouldn't in that situation?"

No matter what his state of mind, he still fought and performed the

tasks of a soldier. Though he may have been desperate for a ticket

home, the duties done gave *Boneca* a homecoming every soldier dreads.

*Boneca*'s infantry unit motto is Inter Pericula Intrepidi, Latin for

fearless in the face of danger.

"Anthony was the first to volunteer in any situation," his father

said.

Boneca is Canada's 17th military casualty in Afghanistan since

2002.

For a time, media were banned from covering the return of those

killed in Afghanistan earlier this year, by Prime Minister Stephen

Harper's government.

Public backlash from that decision - and talk that the government

was really attempting to hide the death toll of the Afghan conflict

- saw the Conservatives retreat, saying they would leave the

decision up to individual families.

The Bonecas allowed photos on the tarmac.

But they declined to give interviews.