Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, I had a heartbreaking conversation with Kru Alin Halmagean, a friend of mine who had just learned of the loss of his heroic son, Gunner Sebastian Halmagean.
Since Confederation, countless Canadians have answered their nation's call to serve, sacrifice and, all too often, never come home. Prime Minister Borden, speaking in 1916, remarked:
...[on] the solemn truth that the nation is not constituted of the living alone. There are those as well who have passed away and those yet to be born. So this...responsibility comes to us as heirs of the past and trustees of the future.
Sebastian told his father, who shared with me, that he wanted every young person to know that sacrifice and commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces was noble and worthy.
I want to thank him for his service and his ultimate sacrifice, offer my prayers and love to his wonderful family and, on behalf of all Parliamentarians, say that we will never forget what he gave us.