Saturday, February 19, 2011

Body of Finnish soldier, Jukka Kansonen, flown home

Fallen Finnish ISAF soldier met with military honours on return home.

The body of First Lieutenant Jukka Kansonen was met with military honours when it arrived in Finland from Afghanistan on Thursday.

Kansonen’s colleagues from the Gulf of Finland maritime defence region carried a wooden coffin draped with the Finnish flag off a transport plane at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport at about 7:00 PM on Thursday.

Also arriving was Kansonen’s group commander, who had the unenviable task of escorting Kansonen on his last trip home.

Kansonen was killed on Tuesday, 15th February in a roadside bomb attack.
     
In the brief military ceremony, the coffin was carried on a red carpet to a waiting hearse, where next of kin were gathered.

Five Finnish flags flew at half staff in the freezing-cold weather.

From the airport, the body was first taken away for an official autopsy.

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