Wheatley native and army veteran John Gallagher is back home after a repatriation ceremony beginning in Toronto and ending in Blenheim on Friday.
Gallagher was killed while fighting with the Syrian Kurdish YPG unit against the Islamic State terrorist group — also known as ISIS.
Gallagher's sister, Erin, says seeing thousands of Canadians come out in support as the procession headed westbound on Hwy. 401 was more than overwhelming.
"I was hearing from people who didn't know my brother who were saying they were tearing up and so we were in tears," She says. "In a way it's a bit surreal, but it's amazing."
Erin Gallagher lives in Victoria, BC now and came back to the region for her brother's repatriation.
"My brother's always been my hero," says Erin. "It's really beautiful to see him positively thought of by so many people and we've had so much support from Canadians, from veterans, from the Kurdish community; it's been really lovely."
Kingsville's Faith Daniher says Gallagher was special and joined a thousand or so people on the Communications Rd. overpass to pay her respects after hearing his story.
"He's special. He didn't have to serve his country, but he did," says Daniher. "I was sad because I grew up in Leamington — I didn't know him — but he grew up in Wheatley; not too far away, so it's special."
Gallagher joined the fight with the YPG unit voluntarily after retiring from the Canadian military where he served as an infantryman.
Retired US Air Force member Louis Devore, now living in Shrewsbury, was among the thousand or so supporters at the Communications Rd. overpass. He hopes people understand Gallagher was fighting for Canadian values and not against any particular religion.
"John, in a sense, would be disappointed if he was alive and he was to come home and he was to look at some of the events in Peterborough where they burned down a mosque. He wouldn't like that because he was fighting with Muslims against terrorists," says Devore.
Tom Mountain with Branch 642 of the Legion in Chatham says he believed in what Gallagher was doing in Syria.
"There's Canadians that are going overseas and fighting with ISIS. This gentlemen was fighting against them and I think the majority of Canadians sympathize with [Gallagher] and not those other people," says Mountain. "He represents everything that I believe in. He's fighting the bad guys."
John Gallagher's body was brought to the Blenheim Community Funeral Home as part of the procession organized by the Canadian Heroes Foundation. A funeral service date has yet to be finalized.
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
US Air Fore veteran Louis Devore is among the supporters at the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Supporters come out to the Communications Rd. overpass on Hwy. 401 for the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Kurdish and Canadian flags are exchanged as fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher's body is brought to the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher's body is brought to the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
The Kurdish community attends the repatriation ceremony of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher in Blenheim on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
A member of the Kurdish community part of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher's repatriation ceremony pays his respects at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Sinam Mohamed, European Representative of the Rajava Demorcratic Adminsitration, part of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher's repatriation ceremony pays her respects at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
The sister of fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher, Erin Gallagher (left) is seen with other family members in mourning at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Fallen veteran and Wheatley native John Gallagher rests at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
