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Warrant Officer Mark Kendall proudly wears the Canadian flag Not a day goes by that Mark Kendall doesn’t worry that one of Mark sai his soldiers won't come home from Afghanistan, and lately that's been happening far too frequently. In just the past year, Mark has seen six young men who he helped train, lose their lives in battle and he is deeply saddened. Back home on his farm at Beam- sville, where he lives with his wife Lisa and four year-old daugher Sarah Jean, he has placed six rib- bons on an old tree at the rear of their property in their memory. “I didn’t know what else to do. I just did it because I've never been. prouder of soldiers in my life,” he said. Mark, 37, is presently a War- rant Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces and trains young men to go to war. “I worry about these kids as much as I worry about my own child,” Mark admitted in a recent interview with Focus On Scugog. “They’s re a part of my regimental family.” Mark was born, raised and edu- cated in Port Perry but after a short stint at college in advertising and public relations decided he needed something more exciting. Unlike soldiers of the past, who enlisted to fight for the freedom of our country in the two great world wars, Mark decided to join the army to find a release for his energy. “I had lots of energy and the military was very physical and pro- vided me with lots of challenges,” Warrant Officer Mark Kendall, (right) with his good friend and colleague Warrant Officer Andy Price. Mark is the son of Larry and Doreen Kendall. id. He joined in 1993 and was trained a asa ground soldier, or a ‘grunt’ is he calls them. “These are the guys that we are reading about in the papers, the guys walking the beat,” he says. As a Warrant Officer Mark is second in command of about 40 soldiers i in the Toronto Scot- young soldiers for overseas duty. He says that against pop- ular belief, Canadian soldiers are some of the best equipped and trained. “Unlike many soldiers, ours are cross-trained so they have numerous skills”, he says. Recently Mark asked to be posted to Afghanistan, a tour he hopes will take place by early spring at the latest. “I have absolutely no doubt I want to go. It’s a just mission,” he says without hesitation. He says he looks forward to serving under General Rick Hillier, whom he calls a “ soldier’s, soldier.” “He’s a man that would be easy to follow. I believe in him and the direc- tion we (Canada) are taking.” When asked how his parents, Ty al Do- reen Kendall of Utica, See Proud Canadian Soldier’ SERVING SCUGOG FOR 30 YEARS FU IRNITURE & & APPLIANCES Comfortable Shopping Experience 1918 Scugog St., Port Perry 905-985-2451 Simplya focus@observerpub.ca FOCUS - NOVEMBER 2006 15