National Day of Honour commemorates mission in Afghanistan

Stephen Good and Mark Pusztai have marked Jan. 7 as a day of remembrance since 2009.

That was the year their brother, Trooper Brian Richard Good, was killed by roadside bomb north of Kandahar at the age of 42. 

"I always worried about him, right. But it's one of those things," Good said. "I didn't think it would end like this. Nobody ever thinks that."

• National Day of Honour official program (pdf)
• Canada's casualties in Afghanistan
• Soldier On relay arrives in Ottawa
• Silver Cross mother still stung by 'disrespect' on eve of Day of Honour

CBC's main coverage of the National Day of Honour will be between noon ET and 2:30 p.m. on CBC News Network and will be livestreamed on CBCNews.ca.

There's a family behind every soldier- Stephen Good, brother of fallen soldier Brian Richard Good

The National Day of Honour on May 9 gives Good and Pusztai another day to pay tribute to their brother — and all the other men and women who were killed or wounded during Canada's 12-year military mission in Afghanistan. 

The 40,000 who fought and the 158 who died will be honoured during a national ceremony on Parliament Hill.

"It's not an every year event. It's a one time — and that's what I kind of like about it," Good said. "It seals the mission."

Brian Good was a brother, husband and father of two.

"He was a loving family man who was taken from us too soon," Pusztai said.

"There's a family behind every soldier," Good said. "I think it's important that people realize the sacrifice of all of our troops, whether it's military or police or paramedics, diplomats or [members] of Foreign Affairs — everybody who was out there trying to help out."

Good has a message for his brother: "You'll always be remembered. And I love you."

Brian Good Avenue in Ottawa's Riverside South community will make sure of that, he said.

"The Brian Good name will stick around for a while, which is nice," he said.

Injured veterans bring flag to Parliament Hill

The National Day of Honour also pays tribute to a Canadian diplomat, a Department of National Defence contractor, an embedded Canadian journalist and more than 40 United States Armed Forces members who were killed while under Canadian command in Afghanistan.

A team of injured veterans will also arrive on Parliament Hill on Friday at the end of a trek from Canadian Forces Base Trenton. Members of the Solider On relay have been carrying a specially constructed baton that holds the last Canadian flag to fly at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul. It will be presented to Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the ceremony.

• National Day of Honour parade

The parade is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. ET in front of the Canadian War Museum and proceed along Wellington Street all the way to Parliament Hill. It will include Canadian Armed Forces personnel, RCMP members, local police officers and civilians who took part in the mission in Afghanistan.

Governor General David Johnston will receive the parade at 1 p.m., along with a vice-regal inspection and a 21-gun salute.

At 1:30 p.m., a single gun shot will signal two minutes of silence, which will be capped off with a Royal Canadian Air Force flyby.