Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca

"Every week he spoke with his family, Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca would give them the official count of how long it would be until he could see them again.

"It is so devastating, he only had (19) days left until he returned home," the 21-year-old reservist's aunt Elizabeth Babe, 63, sobbed. "I'd give up my life to have him back here - he was just wonderful - in capital letters."

Boneca, 21, of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., died yesterday morning in a firefight as coalition troops tried to sweep Taliban insurgents from an area west of Kandahar City.

A few hours later, two other Canadian soldiers were wounded in action in the battle. Both were flown by helicopter to hospital at the international coalition base. Their injuries were described as non-life threatening.




Boneca's family members - including mom Shirley, 61, dad Antonio, 63, and his six aunts and two uncles - comforted each other at the family's Thunder Bay home after hearing the news about 3 a.m. yesterday."
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"Having been away from home for eight months, Meredith said Boneca had started to miss family and friends. While away, Boneca often talked about his family and his 19-year-old girlfriend, Meagan, who was also the girl next door."
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"The latest Canadian Forces casualty in Afghanistan was a "disillusioned" 21-year old desperate to leave the war-torn region, the father of the slain soldier's girlfriend said Monday.

Cpl. Anthony Boneca anticipated being on patrol but didn't have the proper training to be serve on the front lines where he died Sunday, said Larry DeCourte.

"He expected to be on patrol, not fighting a war for someone else," said DeCourte.

"He wasn't ready for that."

Family tells the truth




It's been too long. Please God let them come home!