The following has been contributed by SJ Hearn:
Jefferson Clifford Francis’ father and both his grandfathers served in the Canadian military. Born on Remembrance Day in 1970, the sounds of bagpipes and a bugle from CFB Gagetown’s Remembrance Day ceremonies floating in through his mother’s hospital room window, Jefferson grew up always living near a Canadian military base.
Jefferson was working on his PhD, but finding it difficult to concentrate on his studies, when he decided to enlist in the Canadian Forces. He was sworn in, as a soldier in the Canadian Army, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 7 Sept 2001. Five and a half years later, he was serving Canada in Afghanistan.
On duty on 4 July 2007, he, as well as five of his fellow Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter, were killed when a roadside bomb (an IED) exploded. The other military casualties of this attack were-
Private Lane William Thomas WATKINS,
Corporal Jordan James ANDERSON,
Corporal Cole Daniel BARTSCH,
Master Corporal Colin Stuart Francis BASON and
Captain Matthew Jonathan DAWE.
Military Service-
Rank: Captain
Age: 36
Force: Canadian Army
Unit: Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Division: 1st Regiment
Citation: Sacrifice Medal (Posthumously awarded)
He was the son of Russel Francis and Marion Murray of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the brother of Mica Francis of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He was the husband of Sylvie Secours and the father of Ry Logan Secours-Francis of Ottawa, Ontario.
Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis is commemorated on Page 226 of the ‘In the Service of Canada’ Book of Remembrance.
In 2011, his aunt, Melanie Murray, wrote and published a well-received book, “For Your Tomorrow: The Way of an Unlikely Soldier”, about her nephew, Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis. Among many positive comments, Ms. Murray received an endorsement from retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who says her book is "a most worthy read."∼
Captain, a forward observation officer and artillery co-ordinator with 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, based in Shilo, Manitoba. Aged 36, he was born in Oromocto, NB to a military family and also lived in the Halifax, NS area.
He was one of six Canadian soldiers, along with an Afghan interpreter, killed when their RG-31 Nyala armoured vehicle struck a massive roadside bomb approximately 20 km southwest of Kandahar City. The incident occurred while the soldiers were returning in a convoy to a forward-operating base in the Panjwaii-Zhari district after completing joint operations with the Afghan National Army.
Sixty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died since Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan in 2002.
Capt Francis earned a master's degree in social sciences at Carleton University and then enlisted in the military in 2001 at age 30. He was on his first overseas deployment and about a month away from returning home to his wife Sylvie Secours and their eight-month old son Ry. He is also survived by his mother Marion Murray, father Russ Francis, sister Mica Francis and other family members. He is remembered for his love of sports and martial arts, and as a serious student of world and military history, pop culture, philosophy and art history.
Recipient of Sacrifice Medal (posthumous)
Repatriation ceremony held on July 8, 2007 at CFB Trenton. A private funeral service for family and close friends is planned.
* Many thanks to grainne for her kindness in sponsoring this memorial!
Please visit the fallen:
Capt Matthew Dawe
MCpl Colin Bason
Cpl Jordan Anderson
Cpl Cole Bartsch
Pte Lane Watkins
Jefferson Clifford Francis’ father and both his grandfathers served in the Canadian military. Born on Remembrance Day in 1970, the sounds of bagpipes and a bugle from CFB Gagetown’s Remembrance Day ceremonies floating in through his mother’s hospital room window, Jefferson grew up always living near a Canadian military base.
Jefferson was working on his PhD, but finding it difficult to concentrate on his studies, when he decided to enlist in the Canadian Forces. He was sworn in, as a soldier in the Canadian Army, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 7 Sept 2001. Five and a half years later, he was serving Canada in Afghanistan.
On duty on 4 July 2007, he, as well as five of his fellow Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter, were killed when a roadside bomb (an IED) exploded. The other military casualties of this attack were-
Private Lane William Thomas WATKINS,
Corporal Jordan James ANDERSON,
Corporal Cole Daniel BARTSCH,
Master Corporal Colin Stuart Francis BASON and
Captain Matthew Jonathan DAWE.
Military Service-
Rank: Captain
Age: 36
Force: Canadian Army
Unit: Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Division: 1st Regiment
Citation: Sacrifice Medal (Posthumously awarded)
He was the son of Russel Francis and Marion Murray of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the brother of Mica Francis of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He was the husband of Sylvie Secours and the father of Ry Logan Secours-Francis of Ottawa, Ontario.
Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis is commemorated on Page 226 of the ‘In the Service of Canada’ Book of Remembrance.
In 2011, his aunt, Melanie Murray, wrote and published a well-received book, “For Your Tomorrow: The Way of an Unlikely Soldier”, about her nephew, Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis. Among many positive comments, Ms. Murray received an endorsement from retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who says her book is "a most worthy read."∼
Captain, a forward observation officer and artillery co-ordinator with 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, based in Shilo, Manitoba. Aged 36, he was born in Oromocto, NB to a military family and also lived in the Halifax, NS area.
He was one of six Canadian soldiers, along with an Afghan interpreter, killed when their RG-31 Nyala armoured vehicle struck a massive roadside bomb approximately 20 km southwest of Kandahar City. The incident occurred while the soldiers were returning in a convoy to a forward-operating base in the Panjwaii-Zhari district after completing joint operations with the Afghan National Army.
Sixty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died since Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan in 2002.
Capt Francis earned a master's degree in social sciences at Carleton University and then enlisted in the military in 2001 at age 30. He was on his first overseas deployment and about a month away from returning home to his wife Sylvie Secours and their eight-month old son Ry. He is also survived by his mother Marion Murray, father Russ Francis, sister Mica Francis and other family members. He is remembered for his love of sports and martial arts, and as a serious student of world and military history, pop culture, philosophy and art history.
Recipient of Sacrifice Medal (posthumous)
Repatriation ceremony held on July 8, 2007 at CFB Trenton. A private funeral service for family and close friends is planned.
* Many thanks to grainne for her kindness in sponsoring this memorial!
Please visit the fallen:
Capt Matthew Dawe
MCpl Colin Bason
Cpl Jordan Anderson
Cpl Cole Bartsch
Pte Lane Watkins
The following has been contributed by SJ Hearn:
Jefferson Clifford Francis’ father and both his grandfathers served in the Canadian military. Born on Remembrance Day in 1970, the sounds of bagpipes and a bugle from CFB Gagetown’s Remembrance Day ceremonies floating in through his mother’s hospital room window, Jefferson grew up always living near a Canadian military base.
Jefferson was working on his PhD, but finding it difficult to concentrate on his studies, when he decided to enlist in the Canadian Forces. He was sworn in, as a soldier in the Canadian Army, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 7 Sept 2001. Five and a half years later, he was serving Canada in Afghanistan.
On duty on 4 July 2007, he, as well as five of his fellow Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter, were killed when a roadside bomb (an IED) exploded. The other military casualties of this attack were-
Private Lane William Thomas WATKINS,
Corporal Jordan James ANDERSON,
Corporal Cole Daniel BARTSCH,
Master Corporal Colin Stuart Francis BASON and
Captain Matthew Jonathan DAWE.
Military Service-
Rank: Captain
Age: 36
Force: Canadian Army
Unit: Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Division: 1st Regiment
Citation: Sacrifice Medal (Posthumously awarded)
He was the son of Russel Francis and Marion Murray of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the brother of Mica Francis of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He was the husband of Sylvie Secours and the father of Ry Logan Secours-Francis of Ottawa, Ontario.
Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis is commemorated on Page 226 of the ‘In the Service of Canada’ Book of Remembrance.
In 2011, his aunt, Melanie Murray, wrote and published a well-received book, “For Your Tomorrow: The Way of an Unlikely Soldier”, about her nephew, Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis. Among many positive comments, Ms. Murray received an endorsement from retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who says her book is "a most worthy read."∼
Captain, a forward observation officer and artillery co-ordinator with 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, based in Shilo, Manitoba. Aged 36, he was born in Oromocto, NB to a military family and also lived in the Halifax, NS area.
He was one of six Canadian soldiers, along with an Afghan interpreter, killed when their RG-31 Nyala armoured vehicle struck a massive roadside bomb approximately 20 km southwest of Kandahar City. The incident occurred while the soldiers were returning in a convoy to a forward-operating base in the Panjwaii-Zhari district after completing joint operations with the Afghan National Army.
Sixty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died since Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan in 2002.
Capt Francis earned a master's degree in social sciences at Carleton University and then enlisted in the military in 2001 at age 30. He was on his first overseas deployment and about a month away from returning home to his wife Sylvie Secours and their eight-month old son Ry. He is also survived by his mother Marion Murray, father Russ Francis, sister Mica Francis and other family members. He is remembered for his love of sports and martial arts, and as a serious student of world and military history, pop culture, philosophy and art history.
Recipient of Sacrifice Medal (posthumous)
Repatriation ceremony held on July 8, 2007 at CFB Trenton. A private funeral service for family and close friends is planned.
* Many thanks to grainne for her kindness in sponsoring this memorial!
Please visit the fallen:
Capt Matthew Dawe
MCpl Colin Bason
Cpl Jordan Anderson
Cpl Cole Bartsch
Pte Lane Watkins
Jefferson Clifford Francis’ father and both his grandfathers served in the Canadian military. Born on Remembrance Day in 1970, the sounds of bagpipes and a bugle from CFB Gagetown’s Remembrance Day ceremonies floating in through his mother’s hospital room window, Jefferson grew up always living near a Canadian military base.
Jefferson was working on his PhD, but finding it difficult to concentrate on his studies, when he decided to enlist in the Canadian Forces. He was sworn in, as a soldier in the Canadian Army, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 7 Sept 2001. Five and a half years later, he was serving Canada in Afghanistan.
On duty on 4 July 2007, he, as well as five of his fellow Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter, were killed when a roadside bomb (an IED) exploded. The other military casualties of this attack were-
Private Lane William Thomas WATKINS,
Corporal Jordan James ANDERSON,
Corporal Cole Daniel BARTSCH,
Master Corporal Colin Stuart Francis BASON and
Captain Matthew Jonathan DAWE.
Military Service-
Rank: Captain
Age: 36
Force: Canadian Army
Unit: Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Division: 1st Regiment
Citation: Sacrifice Medal (Posthumously awarded)
He was the son of Russel Francis and Marion Murray of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the brother of Mica Francis of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He was the husband of Sylvie Secours and the father of Ry Logan Secours-Francis of Ottawa, Ontario.
Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis is commemorated on Page 226 of the ‘In the Service of Canada’ Book of Remembrance.
In 2011, his aunt, Melanie Murray, wrote and published a well-received book, “For Your Tomorrow: The Way of an Unlikely Soldier”, about her nephew, Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis. Among many positive comments, Ms. Murray received an endorsement from retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who says her book is "a most worthy read."∼
Captain, a forward observation officer and artillery co-ordinator with 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, based in Shilo, Manitoba. Aged 36, he was born in Oromocto, NB to a military family and also lived in the Halifax, NS area.
He was one of six Canadian soldiers, along with an Afghan interpreter, killed when their RG-31 Nyala armoured vehicle struck a massive roadside bomb approximately 20 km southwest of Kandahar City. The incident occurred while the soldiers were returning in a convoy to a forward-operating base in the Panjwaii-Zhari district after completing joint operations with the Afghan National Army.
Sixty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died since Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan in 2002.
Capt Francis earned a master's degree in social sciences at Carleton University and then enlisted in the military in 2001 at age 30. He was on his first overseas deployment and about a month away from returning home to his wife Sylvie Secours and their eight-month old son Ry. He is also survived by his mother Marion Murray, father Russ Francis, sister Mica Francis and other family members. He is remembered for his love of sports and martial arts, and as a serious student of world and military history, pop culture, philosophy and art history.
Recipient of Sacrifice Medal (posthumous)
Repatriation ceremony held on July 8, 2007 at CFB Trenton. A private funeral service for family and close friends is planned.
* Many thanks to grainne for her kindness in sponsoring this memorial!
Please visit the fallen:
Capt Matthew Dawe
MCpl Colin Bason
Cpl Jordan Anderson
Cpl Cole Bartsch
Pte Lane Watkins
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