SAINT JOHN, N.B. - The youngest Canadian soldier killed in an Easter Sunday attack in Afghanistan was remembered at his funeral as a sweet-tempered boy who loved his family, hockey and life.
Pte. David Greenslade, 20, was buried in his hometown of Saint John, N.B., on Thursday, the third of eight soldiers to be laid to rest this week as a result of roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan.
Another funeral was held Thursday in Newfoundland for one of Greenslade's colleagues killed in the same attack.
In Saint John, hundreds of mourners crowded into the Main Street Baptist Church to grieve Greenslade's death and comfort his parents, Don and Laurie, who lost their only child.
"He died a brave man,'' Alex Oldfield said in a tearful tribute to his best friend. "He died a hero.''
A slide show flashed pictures of Greenslade's life, showing a handsome young man dressed for a school prom, as well as photos of him canoeing, swimming and golfing with his buddies.
Pastor Stephen McMullin said the value of a life cannot be measured simply by the number of years a person lives, but by the contributions they make.
"His life was short, but it has meant a great deal,'' McMullin said.
Greenslade was one of six Canadian soldiers killed April 8 when the light-armoured vehicle in which they were travelling struck a roadside bomb. The men died instantly.
Just a few days later, two more Canadian soldiers, Master Cpl. Allan Stewart and Trooper Patrick Pentland, were killed in a similar explosion, making it the worst single week for Canadian casualties in the war-torn country.
Two of the soldiers killed in the first attack, Sgt. Don Lucas and Cpl. Aaron Williams, were buried on Wednesday.
Pte. Kevin Kennedy of St. Lawrence, N.L., was also buried on Thursday in St. Mary's, N.L.
Bright yellow ribbons and Canadian flags lined the town's main street as mourners gathered at a local church.
John Gibbons, a navy retiree who met Kennedy last Christmas, remembered the soldier as a well-liked young man.
Navy Lt. Jim Russell, the chaplain with Canadian Forces Station St. John's, said support from the small town has been incredibly uplifting during a very difficult time.
Funerals will be held Friday for Cpl. Brent Poland in Sarnia, Ont., and Master Cpl. Christopher Stannix in Halifax.
All six soldiers were members of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in Fredericton.
Services for Stewart and Pentland, who were based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., will also be held within the next few days, although final arrangements have yet to be announced. A memorial service for all of the slain soldiers is being planned for next Wednesday at Gagetown.
On Wednesday, an unidentified Canadian soldier working with special operations forces in Afghanistan died when he fell from a communications tower. Fifty-four Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
