Jamie Murphy (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Jamie Brendan Murphy was a corporal
of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
Battalion Group (3 RCR Bn Gp). While serving with that unit's 3rd Battalion as part of Operation Athena
, he was killed in Kabul
, Afghanistan
by a suicide bomber.
Murphy had been serving with the military since the age of 19. His death came about a week before his tour of duty
was to end, and friends in his unit report he intended to propose marriage to his girlfriend upon his return to Canada.
Murphy was riding in the second of two Iltis jeep
s when his assailant jumped onto it and detonated a mortar round which also killed a civilian in front of a shop and injured other civilians and 3 RCR Bn Gp soldiers. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. One Taliban source had also hinted that the suicide bomber may have been Abdullah Khadr
, but the report turned out to be false.
On January 30 a memorial service
was held in Pembroke, Ontario
. Among the 1,000+ in attendance was Governor General
Adrienne Clarkson
. Murphy's body was taken the following day to Conception Harbour
, Newfoundland
, for his funeral
February 3.
Murphy is one of a small number of Canadians who have been killed by enemy actions since the Korean War
, and the first since Cpl. Daniel Gunther
was killed in Bosnia
in 1993.
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
Battalion Group (3 RCR Bn Gp). While serving with that unit's 3rd Battalion as part of Operation Athena
Operation ATHENA
Operation Athena is the Canadian Forces contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.-Overview:Operation Athena was a two phase Canadian Forces mission...
, he was killed in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
by a suicide bomber.
Murphy had been serving with the military since the age of 19. His death came about a week before his tour of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
was to end, and friends in his unit report he intended to propose marriage to his girlfriend upon his return to Canada.
Murphy was riding in the second of two Iltis jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s when his assailant jumped onto it and detonated a mortar round which also killed a civilian in front of a shop and injured other civilians and 3 RCR Bn Gp soldiers. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. One Taliban source had also hinted that the suicide bomber may have been Abdullah Khadr
Abdullah Khadr
Abdullah Ahmed Khadr is the oldest son of Ahmed Khadr and brother of Omar Khadr who has been charged with war crimes before the Guantanamo military commission....
, but the report turned out to be false.
On January 30 a memorial service
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
was held in Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
. Among the 1,000+ in attendance was Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
. Murphy's body was taken the following day to Conception Harbour
Conception Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador
Conception Harbour is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is in Division No. 1 on Conception Bay.According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:*Population: 801*% Change : -9.8*Dwellings: 353...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, for his funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
February 3.
Murphy is one of a small number of Canadians who have been killed by enemy actions since the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and the first since Cpl. Daniel Gunther
Daniel Gunther
Cpl Daniel Gunther was a Canadian serving with the Royal 22e Régiment in Bosnia, attached to the UN Protection Force.He was killed in 1993, but reports about his death varied, causing controversy...
was killed in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
in 1993.