One year on: Remembering Postmedia reporter Michelle Lang Christmas, beyond, memory, close

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One year on: Remembering Postmedia reporter Michelle Lang
The Calgary Herald reporter died while on assignment in Afghanistan
Calgary Herald

The recent death of Cpl. Steve Martin so close to Christmas was a painful reminder of our own loss one year ago today of our friend and colleague, Michelle Lang, whose memory we mark with a pain that lingers beyond what we thought possible.

Like Martin, whose funeral was held Tuesday in Quebec, Michelle died from the agonizing, random cruelty of a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. She was embedded with Canadian soldiers and on assignment when the 17-tonne armoured vehicle in which she was travelling was catapulted into the air by a powerful, remotely detonated improvised explosive device.

Michelle was a National Newspaper Award-winning health reporter who courageously risked her life to do what she did best -- tell the stories of others.

Rather than remain within the relatively safe confines of Kandahar Airfield, she put her life on the line, as other Herald reporters have done, to go on patrol with soldiers. She was the first and, to date, only Canadian journalist killed in Afghanistan.

Even after one year, Michelle's presence is felt in our newsroom daily. This first anniversary of her death will be difficult for many of us.

Of all the emotions we feel today, the most difficult to deal with is anger. None of the 154 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan have been described as glory-seekers out to make a name for themselves. Mercifully, those few comments about Michelle and other Afghanistan correspondents, posted by readers on various websites, were overshadowed by the outpouring of heartfelt condolences and support we received. Nonetheless, they hurt and haunt us. "Few care what you report," one cynic of embedding wrote on J-source.ca,a journalism web-site, shortly after Michelle's death, claiming that embedding is tantamount to being in compliance with military censorship.

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Military families hold their tongue at criticism. We, not so much. Yet, we understand. All of us at this paper now better comprehend what it means to be military, with its bond of dedication, sacrifice, stoicism and indescribable pain. When a comrade dies, soldiers pull together and then must bravely go back into danger even as they grieve as we grieved. When Michelle died, we soldiered on, putting out a paper through a wall of tears.

Of course, we realize it is not nearly the same, since most of us do not face death in our work and so we marvel at the strength, courage and dedication of the men and women in uniform who are making such a positive difference in the lives of Afghans and keeping our world safer as a result. To put out papers everyday after Michelle's death was agony; to go out on patrol down the same road where your colleagues were blown up, must be so much more difficult.

Michelle opened our eyes to that truth and so much more. We will never forget her. She makes us bleed with sorrow not just for her, but for the family of Cpl. Martin, killed two days before his 25th birthday on Dec. 18, and with the families of the four soldiers killed with Michelle one year ago on a bright, sunny day in a dangerous place.

They were Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, Sgt. George Miok, 28, Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, and Pte. Garrett William Chidley, 21.

We hurt on this day, too, for Michelle's mother, Sandra, her father, Art, her brother, Cameron, and fiance Michael Louie.

For the many thousands of you who helped us through the dark days of the past year, we thank you from the deepest reaches of our still-wounded hearts.
To Michelle, we miss you.!

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Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang prepares for a trip to an Afghan village to report on Canadian aid efforts in this photo taken hours before she and four Canadian Forces soldiers were killed in an IED attack.



Four soldiers and a journalist were killed in an IED blast on December 30, 2009 in Afghanistan. The soldiers have been identified. From top left; Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, based in Yarmouth, N.S., Sgt. George Miok, 28, based in Edmonton, Cpl. Zachery McCormack, based in Edmonton, and Pte. Garrett William Chidley, based in Shilo, Man. Calgary Herald journalist Michelle Lang, bottom right, was also killed.



Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang died a year ago while on assignment covering the role of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.



Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang died a year ago while on assignment covering the role of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.