Sgt. Andrew Joseph Doiron, who was killed in a friendly fire incident in Iraq, is being remembered by family and friends as a devoted military man and "proud Canadian."
The 31-year-old special forces soldier and three of his comrades were fired on by Iraqi Kurdish forces on Friday, in what is being called a case of "." The three other soldiers sustained injuries in the incident, but are said to be in stable condition.
Flags were held at half-mast at city hall in Dieppe, N.B. on Sunday, where Doiron graduated from high school 14 years ago.
High school friend Stephanie Learmouth called Doiron's death "tragic." She described him as passionate, determined and a "proud Canadian."
Learmouth told CTV’s News Channel that coping with his death has been "very difficult," but the people of Dieppe are proud of his accomplishments.
"There's a wave of sadness … when these types of things happen, but at the same time, there's a lot of people that are proud of him, and what he represented, and are very thankful for the sacrifice that he gave for our country," Learmouth said.
Learmouth said that from the day they met, Doiron had always wanted to be in the military.
"He really had a passion for what he did, he didn’t see it as a job, he saw it as a calling and he was fearless – he's definitely a hero," said Learmouth.
Many people have also left comments to express their condolences for the native of Moncton, N.B. A Facebook group called "" had accrued more than 1,900 likes as of Sunday evening.
"We give thanks for his dedication and service, and mourn our loss. To the family our deepest sympathies – thank you for raising such a dedicated son," said commenter Gary Parker.
"That you died in friendly fire does not lessen your service, and the debt your country owes you. I hope you, and those involved find peace," wrote Dawn Watson.
The Canadian Heroes Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports "front line responders", created the Facebook page to honour Doiron's service.
"It is something that we do unfortunately too often. (The Facebook page) is a place where Canadians can go to give their thoughts on how they feel and pay their respects to the fallen hero," Chris Ecklund, the founder of the Canadian Heroes Foundation, told CTV Atlantic.
In a brief statement Sunday, Doiron's family asked for privacy as they grieve their loss.
"Our son gave all and through his loss, we gave all," the family said. "We've lost our beloved son and we kindly ask the media to give our family space and privacy to grieve."
Prior to his deployment to Iraq, Doiron had been stationed at Garrison Petawawa in Ontario.
The Canadian Department of National Defence told Â鶹´«Ã½ that the 31-year-olds' repatriation ceremony is tentatively scheduled to take place "mid-week."
