Brent Poland was born October 26, 1969 in Sarnia, the first child of Donald Eldridge and Patricia Evelyn Poland of Camlachie, Ontario. His grandparents were Bill and Evelyn McKenna of Wyoming, Ontario, and Eldridge and Amy Poland (Dawson) and Goldie Dawson of Brigden, Ontario. Brent had a younger brother, Mark Thomas Poland, born September 13, 1971. As youngsters, Brent and Mark were always on the go growing up in Errol Village along with their cousin Terry. The Poland boys enjoyed sports, playing baseball, soccer, hockey and Brent was an avid downhill skier. The boys loved being outdoors, and with father Don being a Scout leader, they worked their way up from Beavers to Ventures. Their maternal grandparents had a cottage on an island in Lake Temagami (northeast of Sudbury) where the boys spent time fishing, swimming, boating and canoeing. Brent attended Huron Church Camp where he progressed from a camper to a camp counsellor and eventually a canoe leader.
Brent’s younger brother, Mark, who attended Errol Village School and St. Clair High School, would also join the military. After completing grade 11, Mark joined the 1st Hussars as a Private in the reserves. He enrolled at the University of Western Ontario in Honours Political Science and transferred to Officer Cadet status while earning his first degree. During his summer breaks from university, Mark attended Armour Officer Training and graduated as a Lieutenant. After graduating, he worked for the military as a public affairs officer and the personal assistant to the brigade commander. While studying at UWO law school, Mark received a one year deferment to serve with the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Bosnia beginning in the fall of 1994 until spring 1995.
In Bosnia, Mark was a liason officer with “A” Squadron, Royal Canadian Dragoons. He was responsible for communicating between the Canadian army and the local Serb army. In the fall of 1994, while in Bosnia, Mark was one of over 50 Canadian soldiers who were held captive by the Serb army as a shield against NATO bombing of the Serb forces. Mark and his fellow Peacekeepers were eventually released after 16 days and would return to Canada.
Upon returning, Mark was promoted to Captain in the 1st Hussars. He returned to law school, graduating in 1998 and articling with Siskinds Law Firm in London before being called to the bar in February 2000. Mark transferred as a reservist to Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) branch in the military while practicing law. He earned a Masters of Law (LLM) and was promoted to Major within the JAG branch. While working as assistant Crown Attorney in Kitchener, he transferred back to the 1st Hussars, this time as regimental 2nd in command. Mark completed his advanced Combat Arms Officer’s Courses and transferred to the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada where he is currently the District Coordination Officer (DCO). Married to Susan Dube, Mark, Susan and Shelley, Susan’s daughter from a previous marriage, are currently living in Kitchener where Mark is a crown attorney for Dufferin County. About 13 months after Brent lost his life in Afghanistan, Mark and Susan had twins – Sophie Poland and Brent Lucas Poland.
Brent attended Errol Village Elementary School where he enjoyed reading and, like his father, was interested in history. Evening television at the Poland house often involved news programs, a routine that helped Brent develop a solid general knowledge base and an understanding of Canada and World affairs. In grade eight, he would spend a couple of weeks in Quebec on a French exchange. Near the end of grade ten, the Poland family travelled to Europe, rented a car and spent six weeks travelling through the continent. The trip further enhanced Brent’s love for history, a trend which continued through high school and university. Brent Poland graduated from St. Clair High School in Sarnia and then went on to earn two university degrees. His first degree was a Bachelor of Arts History diploma from York University. After achieving that degree, Brent traveled to Europe where he taught in a small village in the Greek mountains, before heading for Italy to help his aunt at an agriturismo, a resort where guests stay on a working farm. He then returned to Toronto to obtain his second degree, a Bachelor of Media Arts Honours diploma from Ryerson University. After earning his second university degree in 1998, Brent worked for a time in office environments, a type of work for which he quickly lost enthusiasm.
In 2002, at the age of 32, Brent joined the Canadian Armed Forces to, as his family members stated “follow his heart and his passion.” Having two university degrees, he immediately entered the officer stream, completing basic officer training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Brent had his heart set on being in the infantry and attended the required four-phase combat arms training, competing with men and women significantly younger than he was. Unsuccessful in the final phase of the gruelling combat arms training, yet still determined to be in the infantry after four years in the military, he resigned his officer’s commission and re-enlisted as a corporal. Despite the lower rank, he achieved his goal of being an infantry soldier, and was assigned as a member of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 2nd Battalion, based at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick. Then his focus shifted to another one of his goals: getting to Afghanistan.
Once he knew he had a permanent posting, Brent bought a house in French Lake, New Brunswick, not far from his base in CFB Gagetown. At his own home, he could finally be re-united with his beagle-mix hound “Shorty”. He had acquired Shorty while studying at Ryerson University and the “badly behaved hound” had been living with Don and Pat Poland in Errol Village since Brent had joined the army. Brent was anxious to get his dog back and introduce him to the wide-open spaces and fields of his country home. Not long after, Brent received the news that he was being deployed to Afghanistan. Brent was thrilled to be going overseas and excited about the upcoming adventures awaiting him in the mountains and on the dusty plains of Afghanistan. At a Christmas dinner party shortly before his departure, one of the guests began leaning on Brent about why he wanted to go to Afghanistan, suggesting that Canadians had no business being there. Brent calmly pointed out that the guest had two little girls and asked how she would like it if they were never given the opportunity to go to school and to get an education, as had been the case in Afghanistan for years. Brent’s response terminated the conversation.
In April 2007, Corporal Poland’s “Hotel Company” of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment was serving with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In the weeks prior to Brent’s death, the men had been part of Operation Achilles – providing security for massive convoys of soldiers and material being moved westward from Kandahar City into Helmand province, where the British had a major offensive operation against the Taliban. NATO was trying to re-open a hydro electric dam in order to supply the region with electricity. During this operation, the men would have been on high alert.
On April 8, 2007, Easter Sunday, the 2nd Battalion was escorting a convoy of troops and supplies through the desert to British soldiers in Helmand province. It was its third escort in three days and the company was looking forward to a much-deserved rest. About 1:30 pm on that day, the light armoured vehicle (LAV III) that Corporal Poland was travelling in struck a roadside IED (improvised explosive device), triggering a massive explosion. The attack occurred around 75 kilometres west of Kandahar. Corporal Poland and five other comrades from 22 Bravo section, who were all sitting in the rear passenger compartment of the vehicle, were killed instantly in the explosion. Perishing with thirty-seven year old Brent Poland were RCRs Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31; Pte. Kevin Kennedy, 20; Cpl. Aaron Williams, 23; and Pte. David Greenslade, 20. Cpl. Christopher Stannix, 24, a reservist from the Halifax based Princess Louise Fusiliers, was also killed. Four soldiers survived the attack, although one had serious injuries. The attack was the largest single-day combat death toll suffered by Canadian troops since the Korean War.
Back in Sarnia on that April 8 Easter Sunday, Don and Pat Poland were in their Bright’s Grove church listening to the Easter service when a tremendously dark and gloomy feeling suddenly descended upon Don, shaking him to the core, but then passing quickly. Shortly after, while they were driving home from the church, the same dark premonition of fear descended on Don again. Don was petrified that a black car would be waiting in the driveway to deliver terrible news. Making the final turn home, he breathed a mammoth sigh of relief when he discovered no such car was waiting in the driveway. Several hours later, after the Poland family finished their Easter dinner, a knock sounded on the Poland’s front door. At the door was a man wearing a kilt. Younger son Mark opened the door, where there stood a kilted soldier and a military chaplain. They were there to deliver the devastating news of Brent’s death, forever changing the life of the Poland family.
Corporal Brent Poland received the Citation: Sacrifice Medal (posthumously). Brent Poland’s repatriation ceremony was held at CFB Trenton on April 11, 2007. A full military funeral with honours was held on April 20, 2007 at a packed Temple Baptist Church, Sarnia attended by more than 1000 people, with younger brother Mark delivered a powerful eulogy. The funeral procession made its way beyond the city limits, down rural roads, and arriving at Brent’s final resting spot in a country cemetery among his forefathers not far from the Poland ancestral farm near Brigden. Thirty-seven year old Brent Poland is buried in Bear Creek Cemetery in Brigden, Lambton County, Ontario. On his headstone is inscribed the words, Too dearly loved to ever be forgotten. Brent Poland’s name is also inscribed on the Village of Camlachie’s Memorial.
Two personal effects were with Corporal Poland at the time of his death, two items that held great significance for Brent and others. Both were returned to his parents. Before Corporal Poland left for Afghanistan, he had become friends with a chaplain, with whom he shared a barrack. Brent had an understanding of religion and the two had many talks. Shortly before his departure, Brent’s mother, Pat, had given him a card on which was printed
Psalm 23 of the Holy Bible, one of his grandmother’s favourite verses. When Brent’s personal effects were returned, in the clear plastic window of his wallet sat the card containing the 23rd Psalm. Brent also had a soft spot for children and another item in his pocket when he died was a letter he had received from a classroom of children taught by one of his mother’s friends. With it were the blood-stained rough notes of a letter he was preparing to send back to the students as soon as he returned to the main base at Kandahar. His father Don would transcribe the letter and forward it to the teacher and children.
Brent had been in contact with the children in the grade 4 class of Mrs. Leona Moore at Confederation Central School of the Lambton Kent Public School Board. The students enjoyed writing and receiving letters with Brent and were excited that he was taking the time to reply to their letters. They had many questions when his letters were read to them. When they learned of Brent’s tragic death, many students stayed in at recess to make a card to send with Mrs. Moore to the funeral home. The following are the rough notes that Brent had with him when he lost his life. They would have been written a week or so before his death:
To: Mrs. Moore’s 4th Grade Class
– Thanks
– We ride in heavily armoured vehicles called LAV III
– We patrol our area of operation for suspected Taliban fighters, and go into villages and district centers to provide protection for our bosses who have meetings called Shuras.
– We generally provide a presence in our area of operations, to let the Taliban know we are here, and to restrict their freedom of movement so that they can not terrorize the local population. These Shuras are important to ensure the local villagers have a say in the reconstruction process.
– Yes there are landmines and the occasional ambush, but our training is world class, so that protects us from being in too much danger.
– We sleep in sleeping bags behind our vehicles wherever we stop for the night.
– My name is Corporal Brent Poland. A corporal is a rank in the army one step above a private.
– We help train the Afghan national police to do things like set up vehicle check points in order to search for weapons and explosives.
– The people are generally poor, but things are improving.
– Since we have been here there is a new road.
– A canal/irrigation project is underway to help the people in the area grow better crops.
– They are mostly farmers.
Brent understood the importance of a good education. In memory of their son, Don and Pat Poland, with the help of the Royal Canadian Regiment, started up The RCR Education Fund for the Children of Fallen Soldiers. The Fund helps with the cost of post-secondary education for the children of RCR soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan, or who died in Canada as a result of the physical or mental injuries of war. In Brent’s death, others will have the opportunity for a brighter future.
Corporal Brent Poland is remembered as a good, strong and loving man, a proud soldier and proud Canadian. According to a family member, “He told us before he left that he saw this tour as his chance to help in the effort to bring peace and stability for the people of Afghanistan. He was inspired by the thought that his efforts might help to ensure that little girls had the chance to go to school and women might be given an opportunity to thrive in an environment free of brutal oppression.” The following is a quotation from a letter Brent wrote to his family, to be opened in the event of his death:
I sincerely hope that my death resulted in saving the lives of my fellow brothers in arms. I feel it is my obligation to protect the young men in my unit, given that I have been so blessed, so that they may go on to lead fulfilled lives and experience as much as I have.
SOURCES: B, D, E, K, L, N, 2D, 3D, p